In a turn of events in Rivers State politics, the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has reserved judgment in a case involving Sara Igbe and nine other elders in the state against President Bola Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Martin Amaewhule, the Rivers State House of Assembly, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court, after careful consideration of arguments from both sides, opted to reserve its judgment for a later date.
Represented by Wilcox Abereton SAN, the appellants are advocating that the case be reassigned to a different judge, citing concerns over impartiality by the trial judge.
Meanwhile, counsel for the fourth defendant (Amaewhule), K.C. Njemanze, contended that the State High Court’s decision to dismiss the case was justifiable.
On January 7, 2024, Sara Igbe and nine other Rivers State elders filed a lawsuit at the State High Court seeking clarification on the constitutionality of the “Peace Agreement” brokered between Governor Fubara; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Amaewhule, and others under the guise of a presidential peace pact in Abuja last December.
Furthermore, they sought interpretation of Section 109 of the constitution regarding whether lawmakers under Amaewhule’s leadership should have vacate their seats upon defecting from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the case was dismissed by the High Court Judge, Justice Chinwendu Nworgu, for lack of jurisdiction even before proceedings began, prompting the plaintiffs to seek recourse at the Court of Appeal.
