The legal battle surrounding the Rivers State Government appears to be far from over, as two state commissioners whose appointments were approved by four lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara have filed a lawsuit against the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The commissioners are seeking an interlocutory injunction to prevent Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 26 lawmakers from enforcing resolutions passed on March 5, 2025, which declared their appointments null and void.
They are asking the court to restrain the Assembly from nullifying their appointments and to issue an order barring the legislature from interfering in their duties as members of the State Executive Council.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, and his commissioners have also challenged the Assembly’s authority to summon them for questioning.
The Assembly had initially issued a 48-hour ultimatum for Enebeli to appear and explain the circumstances surrounding the nullified October 5, 2024, Local Government Elections.
When he failed to do so, the deadline was extended by 72 hours.
In their suit, Enebeli and his team are asking the court to restrain the Assembly from compelling their appearance, arguing that such a move would be unlawful.
Justice Frank Onyiri, presiding over the case, granted leave for the claimants to serve the Assembly through substituted means and adjourned the hearing to April 17, 2025.
The Supreme Court, in a recent judgment, declared that Martin Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers, alleged to have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), remain legitimate members of the State Assembly. This ruling implies that Amaewhule remains the legitimate Speaker of the House.
The judgment also means all actions carried out by the lawmakers loyal to the governor are null and void, including the screening of commissioner nominees.
