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Court throws out suit seeking to declare 25 Rivers Assembly seats vacant

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The political face-off in Rivers State has taken another dimension as High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the capital of oil rich State has unilaterally struck out the suit seeking to declare the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant.

Recall that the 25 Assembly members said to be loyal to the controversial FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

While delivering judgement on Monday, June 10, Justice Okogbule Gbasam ruled that the lawmakers are still members of the PDP after the claimants failed to provide evidence as required by law that the defendants are members of the APC.

The ruling follows a previous decision by the same court on Friday, May 30, which had declared the seats of these 25 lawmakers vacant pending the outcome of the ongoing suit.

Additionally, the court had ordered Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule to cease parading as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and barred the 24 other lawmakers, who oppose governor Siminalayi Fubara, from posing as legitimate lawmakers in the state.

The dismissal of the suit however, reinforces the current standing of the 25 lawmakers within the legislative framework of Rivers State, maintaining their positions amid the political brouhaha.