Rivers Assembly crisis: Appeal Court orders Wike, Fubara factions to maintain status quo

A Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the parties involved in the ongoing House of Assembly crisis to maintain status quo.

The Court of Appeal gave the order in a suit marked CA/PH/198/2024 instituted by Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule & 24 others (Appellants) against Rt Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo and five others (Defendants).

Amaewhule and others had approached the apex court, seeking to vacate the Interlocutory Injunction of a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt which empowered Oko-Jumbo to keep on with the leadership of the state assembly.

Justice Charles Wali of the State High court had also in a ruling ordered Amaewhule and 24 others to stop parading as speaker and lawmakers in the legislative arm of the state.

• Climate Change: Women Green Initiative Donates Trees to Communities
• Court upholds Ado Bayero’s rights, awards N10m against Kano govt

The Court also held that all the laws made by Amaewhule and others were in nullity until the determination of the matter.

The three-man Appeal Panel made up of Hon. Justice Jimi Olukayode Bada, Hon. Justice Hamma Akawu and Hon. Justice Balkisu Bello Aliyu, in a virtual sitting on Friday, urged the parties involved in the matter to maintain status quo and adjourned the case till 20th of July.

The appeal panel tasked the parties not to take any step that would affect the merit of the matter before it and stated that notice of appeal be served on the defendants before the adjourned date.