Pro-Fubara Lawmakers To Screen Commissioner Nominees 

RIVERS State House of Assembly lawmakers loyal to the governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara are set to commence the screening process for a commissioner nominee appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

This decision marks the first responsibility to be undertaken by the recently appointed Speaker of the three-member faction headed by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.

In an official statement by the Clerk of the faction,  Gillis-West, said the nominee, Dagogo Iboroma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, will be screened on Monday the 13th of MAY 2024 by 10 am at the Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt.

Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that Justice Charles N. Wali of a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt last week restrained 25 members of the state House of Assembly from parading themselves as lawmakers.

Justice Wali gave the order on (Friday, 10th May 2024 holding that the lawmakers’ seats had been declared vacant.

Martin Amaewhule, the Speaker and 25 other legislators affected by the ruling are believed to be loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

They had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the height of the rift between Wike and Governor Fubara.

After their defection, their seats were subsequently declared vacant by another faction of the Assembly led by Edison Ehie, now Chief of Staff to the governor.

Those joined in the suit are the governor, the State Attorney-General and the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, while the pro-Fubara factional Speaker, Oko-Jumbo and two others are the plaintiffs.

The court also restrained the lawmakers from meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located Off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or any other place whatsoever to carry out or purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

After listening to the motion, in suit NO: PHC/1512/CS/2024, moved by Sammie A. Somiari (SAN), Justice Wali held, “An order of interim injunction is granted restraining the 1st to 25th Defendants from parading and holding out themselves as members of Rivers State House of Assembly and/ or meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at off Aba Road, Port Harcourt or any other place whatsoever to purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

“An order of interim injunction is hereby made restraining the 26th to 28th Defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or howsoever interacting with the 1st to 25th Defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant with effect from 13th December 2023 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

“It is further ordered that this order, the Motion on Notice and the writ and other processes, in this case, be served on the 1st to 25th Defendants/Respondents within seven (7) days from date by substituted means to wit: of pasting at the entrance gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly Legislat ve Quarters, Off Aba Road, Port Harcourt and for such service to be deemed good and proper.”

Eighteen-Eleven Media