Suit to halt Rivers lawmakers’ expulsion fails

•Ex-APC chieftain calls for peace to attract investment

A Rivers State House of Assembly lawsuit aimed at expelling 27 lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), has overcome a key hurdle.

The lawmakers’ attempt to halt the legal proceedings failed, paving the way for the case to proceed.The suit instituted by Boot Party, marked FHC/PHC/269/2024, is urging the court to declare Amaewhule’s seat and those of 26 others vacant, following their defection to the APC, as well as to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to fill the vacant seats.

The suit is also asking the court to make a declaration, directing the Rivers State Government not to have any dealings with the lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Counsel for the embattled lawmakers, Ferdinand Orbih, during the hearing, yesterday, drew the attention of the court to a petition authored by his client to the Chief Judge of Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, urging him to assign the suit to another judge.

Orbih argued that the matter must be stalled pending the response of the Chief Judge to their petition.

MEANWHILE, a former Chieftain of the APC, Prince Tonye Princewill, has expressed worry over the ongoing political unrest in the state.
He has, therefore, canvassed for peace to attract investment that will drive socio-economic growth in the state.
Princewill lamented that the narratives about the oil-rich state within the international community are negative, and may have affected investments.

Speaking yesterday, in Port Harcourt, he insisted that a secure and peaceful environment is necessary to enable investors to come in and do business.