Rivers Assembly Crisis: Court adjourns suit by CSOs to April 26
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has adjourned a suit filed by Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, in the state against the embattled twenty-five lawmakers led by Martin to April 26 for hearing.
The trial Judge, Justice Stephen Dalyopam, announced the adjournment after hearing from counsels involved in the case, stating that the delay was to allow all parties to submit their respective processes to ensure fairness and avoid any claims of insufficient opportunity.
Justice Dalyopam instructed all counsels to complete their service processes and respond to each other before the newly adjourned date.
Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, Eugene Ode, representing the CSOs, explained that some parties had filed preliminary objections challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the substantive matter.
He also noted that some counsels had yet to file responses, leading to the adjournment.
The Civil Society Organizations had filed the case to seek interpretation of Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, questioning whether lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress retain their legal rights to remain as lawmakers of their constituencies.
Among other prayers, the CSOs are also seeking to restrain Governor Siminalayi Fubara from presenting the 2024 budget to the lawmakers who defected from PDP to APC and whose seats have been declared vacant.
