Appeal Court Gives Ex Pandef to 10 Representatives

Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt has granted an ex pandef application to 10 representatives from Rivers State senatorial districts, led by Anabs Sara-Igbe.

The application sought to serve court processes to factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and lawmakers who defected from the People’s Democratic Party, to the All Progressives Congress, via substituted means.

The three-man appellate court led by Justice Oluwayamisi Williams-Dawodu also approved an ex parte application for an expedited hearing of the suit filed by Sara-Igbe and nine others, representing River’s sons and daughters, the suit seeks constitutional interpretation regarding the alleged inconsistency of the directives for resolving the political impasse in the state with Section 1 of 2 of the Constitution of Nigeria.

The claimants additionally seek clarification on constitutional provisions, including whether the president has the legal authority to instruct the governor to re-present the 2024 budget to 24 lawmakers, led by Amaewhule, even after their seats were declared vacant following their defection.

They also inquired about the re-submission of nine names of commissioners who voluntarily resigned, while, Justice Williams-Dawodu directed the court processes to be served on Amaewhule and the 24 lawmakers through WhatsApp or by affixing them to the wall of his residence, and adjourned the case to April 8, 2024, for the commencement of the hearing.

Sara-Igbe said, their pursuit is for justice, which he believes “will contribute to the conscientious governance of Rivers State, while, this is coming after a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt Presided over by Justice Chinwendu Nworgu, declined jurisdiction to entertain the suit, referencing the judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja High Court that nullified activities of the Edison Ehie-led faction of the Assembly.