A motion by the constituents of the Rivers State House of Assembly members led by Martin Amaewhule has been granted substituted service by the Federal High Court in Port-Harcourt.
Justice Emmanuel Obile, presiding over the case, approved the order on Monday, citing challenges in serving the lawmakers with court documents.
Seeking clarity on section 109 sub-section 1 of the 1999 Constitution regarding lawmakers’ party defections, the constituents also requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organize fresh elections for the affected state constituency seats.
The court has adjourned the matter to May 16th for further proceedings.
It is worth noting that 27 lawmakers from the Rivers State Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) amidst a crisis within the PDP’s national leadership.
Their defection stemmed from the political turbulence in the state, triggered by the burning of the State Assembly’s chamber and subsequent legal actions against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The political unrest in Rivers State has largely resulted from the discord between Governor Fubara and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister.