Olusegun Ariyo
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has dismissed a suit filed by the Labour Party in Rivers State challenging the alleged defection of the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 26 others.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel Obile cited a recent Supreme Court decision, which he said had already addressed the issue of defection raised in the suit.
The judge held that he lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on a matter that had been conclusively determined by the apex court.
Counsel to the defendants, Ken Njemanze, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, had in his final written address urged the court to dismiss the suit in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling, which upheld the legitimacy of the lawmakers.
However, Counsel to the Labour Party, Clifford Chuku, argued that the issue of defection was a collateral matter in the case decided by the Supreme Court and urged the court not to dismiss the suit.
