Court Schedules Date for Verdict on Labour Party’s Case Against Rivers Assembly Lawmakers

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has scheduled April 16, 2025, to deliver its verdict on a case filed by the Labour Party (LP) in Rivers State regarding the alleged defection of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 26 other lawmakers……..READ MORE

Justice Emmanuel Obile postponed proceedings after both legal teams submitted their final written arguments in response to a fresh application by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ken Njemanze, representing Amaewhule and the others.

Njemanze sought to amend their initial motion, requesting the dismissal of the suit rather than just striking it out. He based his argument on a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the lawmakers’ legitimacy, stating that allowing the case to proceed would contradict the apex court’s decision.

While LP’s counsel, Clifford Chuku, did not oppose the verbal request, he argued that the defection issue was not the primary focus of the Supreme Court’s ruling. He urged the court to consider the matter based on its substantive merits. Chuku also pointed out a legal discrepancy in the defendants’ affidavit, as it was signed by a lawyer who is also a party to the case.

Following the submissions, Justice Obile set April 16, 2025, as the date for ruling on the motion.