The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has set April 16, 2025, to rule on an application seeking the dismissal of a defection case filed by the Labour Party (LP) against 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Labour Party is asking the court to declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant following their alleged defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During Monday’s proceedings, the defendants’ lawyer, K.C.O. Njemanze, representing Speaker Martins Amaewhule and others, urged the court to dismiss the case, citing a recent Supreme Court judgment. He presented a Certified True Copy of the ruling, stating that the Supreme Court had reinstated the Amaewhule-led Assembly leadership.
He also noted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who initially raised the defection claims, had withdrawn them at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, Labour Party’s lawyer, Clifford Chukwu, argued that the defection issue was a “collateral matter” before the Supreme Court and urged the court to reject the request to dismiss the case based on the evidence already presented.
Justice E.A. Obile adjourned the case until April 16 for a ruling on the dismissal application.
