By Ola Kay
The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Rivers State, Dagogo IBoroma, SAN, has urged members of the public to disregard fake news making rounds in the social media about claims by former lawmakers led by Martins Amaewhule allegedly reinstating them as legislators in the state and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Barrister Iboroma stressed that the suit on the matter is still to be determined by the courts.
The Attorney-General explained that, “My attention has been drawn to a recent judgment. This suit did not seek to declare the seat of Martins Amaewhule and 26 others in Rivers State House of Assembly vacant.
“The suit of the claimants was struck out for want of locus standi and jurisdiction and also for being an abuse of court process which robbed the trial court of jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.”
He reiterated that the news was misleading and is already circulating in the social media, print and electronic media that Martins Amaewhule and 26 others are members of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
But, as far as the state Commissioner for Justice was concerned, Martins Amaewhule and 26 others who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th Day of December, 2023 “as indicated in an affidavit evidence deposed to by him Martins Amaewhule for himself and on behalf of 26 others in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1681/CS/2023 before Hon. Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, a suit is still pending in court.”
The Commissioner for Justice explained that by section 272(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it is only the Federal High Court that can determine whether Martins Amaewhule and 26 others are still members of Peoples Democratic Party and also members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He reminded the public that there is a subsisting order of interlocutory injunction in Suit No. PHC/512/CS/2024 restraining Martins Amaewhule and others “from further parading or presenting themselves as law makers in Rivers State pending the determination of the substantive suit, which has not been appealed against till date.”
He called upon members of the public to disregard the news presently making rounds in social, print and electronic media to disregard what he described as “fake judgment.”
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