By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from organising by-elections to replace 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, whose seats were declared vacant last week.
Justice Donatus Okorowo also barred the defendants in the case from interfering with the 25-member camp of the Rivers State House of Assembly from conducting their legislative duties as speaker, deputy speaker, and members of the parliament.
Last Wednesday, one of the factional Speakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Edison Ehie, declared vacant the seats of 25 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The affected factional lawmakers also have their Speaker in Mr Martin Amaewhule.
Mr Ehie is being backed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the 25-member group led by Mr Amaewhule is loyal to Mr Nyesom Wike, a former governor and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The judge also restrained the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the State Security Service (SSS) “from denying or refusing to provide security to the 27 Lawmakers or withdrawing their security details”.
He subsequently adjourned the suit to December 28 for a hearing.
Mr Ehie had secured an interim order through an ex-parte application from the Rivers State High Court in Port-Harcourt, enabling him and three of his colleagues who are loyal to Governor Fubara to do legislative businesses without interference from the Amaewhule-led faction.
However, in a bid to forestall any by-elections from being held to fill their seats, the group of 25 lawmakers through their lawyer, Mr Peter Onuh, had on December 13 filed an ex-parte request, urging the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain, the Rivers State House of Assembly, INEC, and the PDP from taking actions that could undermine their rights.
Also, Mr Amaewhule and his group who are the applicants in the suit, prayed the court to restrain the SSS, the Inspector General of Police, and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from depriving them of their rights as lawmakers, including withdrawal of police security.
In a related development, the state chapter of the APC has received the 25 state lawmakers who recently joined the party from the PDP at a ceremony chaired by the Rivers APC Caretaker Chairman, Mr Tony Okocha at the Port Harcourt Polo Club on Monday.
At the event, Mr Okocha accused the Rivers State Government of masterminding the arson of the Rivers State Assembly.
“I challenge the Governor (Sim Fubara and the PDP) to prove to Rivers people that they are not the ones responsible for the burning of the Rivers Assembly,” he said.
“How did the fire catch the place?” he asked with cheers coming from the gathering.
Modupe Gbadeyanka