The Rivers State Government has unequivocally dismissed false claims circulating across social and electronic media platforms, suggesting that the Supreme Court has reinstated Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 other individuals as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
At a press briefing held in Port Harcourt on Monday night, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Israel Iboroma, SAN, addressed the media and clarified the situation. He categorically stated, "The Supreme Court did not make any order reinstating Martin Chike Amaewhule and the 26 others as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Nor did the Court make any ruling regarding their status as members of the Assembly."
Iboroma's comments came in response to growing media reports that have misrepresented the proceedings at the Supreme Court, fueling misleading narratives surrounding the case. He urged the public to disregard the "false narrative and propaganda" being spread by Amaewhule, his legal team, and their supporters about the outcome of the Supreme Court hearing.
The Attorney General provided a detailed account of the legal developments leading up to the case, stating that he was present during the court proceedings on Monday, February 10, 2025, which concerned the matter SC/CV/1701/2024, titled Governor of Rivers State v. Rivers State House of Assembly & 15 Others. He expressed his disappointment at the "gross misrepresentation" of the events by certain media outlets.
Iboroma underscored the importance of understanding the background of the case, saying, "It is crucial to trace the facts behind SC/CV/1701/2024 to avoid confusion and misinterpretation." According to him, the government had considered disregarding the spreading falsehoods, but felt it necessary to correct the public record and counter the misleading information being presented to the public.
He went on to explain the origins of the case, noting that on November 29, 2023, Martin Chike Amaewhule and his colleagues filed Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The suit sought 11 different reliefs, though the issue of their defection from the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not addressed as part of the case.
Iboroma elaborated that the defection of Amaewhule and the 26 others, which took place on December 11, 2023, automatically led to the forfeiture of their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, in line with constitutional provisions. He clarified that the defection was not part of the issues being contested in the court proceedings. Moreover, the defectors did not inform the court of their party switch before judgment was passed in the case.
The Attorney General also clarified that the core focus of Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 was the 2024 Appropriation Law, commonly known as the state budget. He explained that the case became moot when the 2024 budget was fully implemented, and the state government had already moved on to the 2025 Appropriation Bill, which was passed and signed into law.
Iboroma further justified the withdrawal of the Governor's appeal at the Supreme Court, stating, "As we are now in 2025, the 2024 Appropriation Law has been fully expended, and there is no way to revisit or reallocate funds under that law. The issue, therefore, became academic, and it was no longer useful for the court to continue considering the appeal." He added that, in keeping with legal procedures and the principle of avoiding unnecessary judicial delays, the Governor filed a notice of withdrawal, which the Supreme Court accepted. As a result, the appeal was dismissed.
To conclude, Iboroma emphasized that the Supreme Court did not make any ruling that reinstated Martin Chike Amaewhule and his colleagues as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, nor did the Court make any determinations regarding their status as legislators. He reiterated the government's call for the public to ignore the misleading reports and the false narrative being propagated by Amaewhule and his legal representatives.
