Federal High Court to Issue Verdict on Rivers Assembly and Fubara Case on Monday

The Federal High Court in Abuja is scheduled to announce its judgment on Monday in the case involving Speaker Martin Amaewhule of the Rivers State House of Assembly against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the National Assembly, and others.

This information was conveyed through a notice sent to the concerned parties on Sunday. The lawsuit, identified as FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023, features the Rivers State House of Assembly and Amaewhule as the plaintiffs. The first to fifth defendants include the National Assembly, Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader. The sixth to the tenth defendants comprise the House of Representatives Speaker, House Deputy Speaker, House Majority Leader, House Minority Leader, and Clerk to the National Assembly.

The remaining defendants, numbered eleven to seventeen, include the Governor of Rivers State, Attorney-General of Rivers, Commissioner of Finance, Accountant-General of Rivers, Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Inspector-General of Police, and Edison Ehie.

The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction against the first to tenth defendants, preventing them from considering any request from Fubara to assume the functions of the Rivers State Assembly. This includes its legislative role in making laws for the peace, order, and good government of Rivers within its constitutional and legislative jurisdiction. Additionally, they are seeking an injunction to prevent Fubara from obstructing or hindering the assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership as its speaker.

Justice James Omotoso is presiding over the case, which was filed during a period of heightened crisis in the state. The discord stemmed from tensions between the former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT minister. In an effort to resolve the political crisis, President Bola Tinubu summoned Wike and Fubara to a meeting in Abuja on December 18, where they signed an eight-point resolution.