By Suleiman Anyalewechi
Parties in the Rivers House of Assembly crisis have been asked by an Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the substantive suit before it.
A three-man panel of justices gave the ruling on Friday June 14, 2024 in an appeal brought before it by the 27 pro-Wike Lawmakers seeking to reverse an earlier judgement that declared their legislative seats vacant following their defections from the Peoples Democratic Patty PDP to the All Progressive Congress APC.
Justice Dagogo Jack of a Rivers State High Court had earlier ruled to declare the seats of Speaker Martins Amaewfule and 26 other law makers vacant, restraining them from further parading themselves as members of the state House of Assembly having lost their legislative seats by virtue of their resignation from the PDP ,the party that sponsored them for the elections.
In the same vein, the court had ruled that Victor Oko -Jumbo remains the authentic Speaker of the House of Assembly.
The Appeal Court Panel led by Justice Jimi Olukayode Bada, however, advised all parties against any moves that would affect the substantive suit.
The Court also ordered that the notice of appeal should be served on all the defendants in the suit ,before the next adjourned date.
