Amaewhule, others not reinstated, Supreme Court judgment misrepresented — Rivers AG

The Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Israel Iboroma, SAN, has decried what he described as the serial misrepresentation in social and electronic media of what transpired at the Supreme Court on Monday.

The Rivers Attorney General said the apex court did not reinstall Martins Amaewhule and 26 others as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Iboroma, who said he was in court and witnessed all that transpired in SC/CV/1701/2024, stated that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State withdrew his case against the Rivers State House of Assembly and 15 others.

Iboroma explained that the defection of Martins Amaewhule and 26 others was not the issue in court, adding that it was also not an issue for determination in the resultant appeals.

The AG said the most principal issue in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 was the Appropriation Law 2024.

The Attorney General noted that on November 29, 2023, Martins Amaewhule & Anor instituted Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, and on December 11, 2023, while Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 was pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Amaewhule and 26 others defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the AG, the lawmakers, by this action, automatically lost their seats as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The statement reads in part: “Furthermore, before judgment was delivered in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023, Martins Amaewhule and 26 others did not inform the court that they had defected from PDP to APC.

“We are in the year 2025, with a 2025 Appropriation Bill already passed, signed into law, and in operation.

“The Appropriation Law 2024 is now totally spent and cannot be brought back into operation. The monies in the Appropriation Law 2024, having been spent, cannot be recalled and spent again.

“The Appropriation Law 2024, being spent by reason of its expiration, rendered SC/CV/1701/2024 merely academic and of no utilitarian value.

“The appellant, in keeping with the time-honored practice of not wasting precious judicial time, filed a notice of withdrawal of his appeal and freely urged the Honourable Court to dismiss his appeal. Accordingly, the Honourable Court granted the prayer sought and dismissed the appeal. This is all that transpired.

“The Supreme Court made no order whatsoever reinstating Martins Chike Amaewhule and 26 others as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, nor did the Supreme Court make any finding on their status as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

He, however, called on the public to ignore the false narrative and propaganda being spread by Martins Amaewhule and his lawyers regarding what transpired in the Supreme Court on Monday.