The Rivers State Government said the Appeal Court judgment in Abuja on Thursday did not reinstate the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the State House of Assembly.
According to a statement from the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, the government clarified that Amaewhule and 26 others defected on December 11, 2023; hence, their seats automatically became vacant from the day they announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Attorney General insisted that the issue of Amaewhule’s and 26 others’ defection was never before the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, and therefore, no court has legitimised their membership of the House of Assembly based on the defection.
He stated that dissatisfied with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, the Governor has directed his lawyers to file an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court and file an application for a stay of execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.