Rivers Crisis: Court prevents INEC from conducting by-elections to replace 27 lawmakers

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been prohibited from holding by-elections to replace 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly whose seats have been declared vacant by Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Okorowo also prohibited the defendants in the case from interfering with the Rivers State House of Assembly’s 27-member camp from carrying out their legislative duties as speaker, deputy speaker, and parliamentarians.

The Judge ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service (SSS) to refrain from “denying or refusing to provide security to the 27 legislators or withdrawing their security details.”

He later rescheduled the case until December 28 for a hearing.

A group of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, had last Wednesday declared vacant the seats of 27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While Mr Ehie is being backed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the 27-member group led by Martin Amaewhule is loyal to Nyesom Wike, a former governor and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Ehie had secured an interim order through an ex-parte application from the Rivers State High Court in Port-Harcourt, enabling him and three of his colleagues who are loyal to Governor Fubara to do legislative businesses without interference from the Amaewhule-led faction.

However, in a bid to forestall any by-elections from being held to fill their seats, the group of 27 lawmakers through their lawyer, Peter Onuh, in an ex-parte request filed on 13 December, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain, the Rivers State House of Assembly, INEC, and the PDP from taking actions that could undermine their rights.

Also, Mr Amaewhule and his group who are the applicants in the suit, prayed the court to restrain the SSS, the Inspector General of Police, and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from depriving them of their rights as lawmakers, including withdrawal of police security.