The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned an ex parte order issued by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt that had barred Martin Amaewhule from acting as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This ruling has sparked significant division within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
On Thursday, a three-judge panel, led by Justice Jimi Olukayode-Bada, upheld the appeal by Amaewhule and 24 other pro-Wike lawmakers against the Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and two others. The appellate court dismissed the lower court’s decision, which had previously prevented the pro-Wike legislators from accessing the Assembly or performing any legislative duties.
The Rivers State High Court’s initial ruling was based on allegations that these lawmakers, loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. This defection took place in December 2023 amid a political rift between Wike and the current Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Following the appellate court’s decision, the APC in Rivers State remains deeply divided. The reinstatement of the pro-Wike lawmakers has exacerbated existing tensions within the party, which has been fractured since 2023 due to the ongoing conflict between Fubara and Wike.
I’m not interested in running Rivers State- Wike.
Amaewhule’s faction of pro-Wike lawmakers had previously defected from the PDP to the APC. Edison Ehie, who initially led the pro-Wike group, resigned as a lawmaker and was appointed as Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara. Subsequently, Oko-Jumbo was elected Speaker in May 2024 by the pro-Fubara faction. The pro-Fubara lawmakers secured a court order from Justice Charles Wali, restraining the 25 pro-Wike lawmakers from parading themselves as Assembly members and conducting any legislative activities.
However, dissatisfied with this ruling, the pro-Wike lawmakers appealed, leading to the recent judgment by the Court of Appeal. Justice Olukayode-Bada, in his judgment, declared that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case, emphasizing that real urgency must exist for an ex parte order to be granted.
The appellate court’s decision has triggered mixed reactions within the Rivers APC. The party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, welcomed the verdict, stating that it affirmed the pro-Wike lawmakers’ legitimacy. In contrast, the faction loyal to former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi expressed discontent, arguing that the ruling does not negate the fact that the lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC.
APC Publicity Secretary Darlington Nwauju urged all parties to respect the rule of law and consider appealing to the Supreme Court if necessary. He criticized the previous protests that included violent actions, describing them as “infantile, illogical, and grossly irresponsible.”
The Rivers State government and the PDP have yet to officially respond to the judgment. However, the APC’s National Legal Adviser, Prof Abdulkareem Kana, supported the court’s decision, explaining the distinction between political and legal defection, which he believes many fail to understand.
The reinstatement of the pro-Wike lawmakers has intensified the existing political turmoil in Rivers State, leaving the APC deeply divided and the legislative future uncertain.
