The Coalition for Justice and Accountability (CJA) has formally requested the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate a recent ruling by the Rivers State High Court.
The court’s decision to reinstate 27 lawmakers who were previously sacked from the Rivers State House of Assembly has sparked significant controversy.
In a statement signed by its President, Dada Segun Akin, the CJA criticized the court’s judgment, which ordered the return of the 27 legislators to their seats.
The lawmakers in question had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The Coalition condemns in strong terms the judgment delivered by a Rivers State High Court, which ruled that the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who moved from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress are still members of the PDP and Rivers State House of Assembly,” the statement declared.
The controversy began in December 2023, when members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and led by the then Speaker Martin Amaewhule, defected from the PDP to the APC.
Citing constitutional provisions, a Rivers State High Court subsequently restrained these defected lawmakers from continuing to serve as Assembly members.
In response, Victor Oko-Jumbo was elected as the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
However, in a recent ruling, a judge from the Rivers State High Court struck out the original suit based on a preliminary objection and then ruled on the merits, deciding that the defected lawmakers were still members of the PDP.
The CJA’s statement expressed disbelief at the court’s conclusion, highlighting that the lawmakers themselves had cited internal divisions within the PDP as their reason for defecting.
“We are shocked that the judge arrived at the conclusion that the defected members were still members of the PDP when the members themselves stated reasons for their defection,” the coalition stated.
The coalition argued that this judgment was not only flawed but also anticipated.
“We had revealed and warned of the plot to get favorable judgment and return the pro-Wike lawmakers to the House last week. It is unfortunate that this sad day for our judiciary is before us,” the statement added.
The CJA has called for the NJC to intervene swiftly, warning that the judgment could further erode public trust in the judiciary. “Finally, we call on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to immediately wade into this issue at the Rivers State High Court, Degema, because the judgment will cause further damage to the already battered image of the judiciary,” the coalition urged.
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