Court orders Rivers CJ, Clerk, not to accept Amaewhule’s impeachment notification.

An Exparte Order of Interim Injunction banning the Chief Judge of the State and the Clerk of the State House of Assembly from interacting with Martins Amaewhule’s led State Assembly has been issued by a Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

Along with prohibiting the pair from handling Amaewhule and 26 other Assembly members as well as from acting on any resolutions, articles of impeachment, or correspondence from them, Justice Jumbo Stephen’s ruling also barred them.

Against Martin Amaewhule and 26 others as the first set of defendants, the Attorney General of the State filed the lawsuit, marked PHC/2177/CS/2024, under Siminialayi Fubara, the Governor of the State, against Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo and others, the Chief Justice of the State and Clerk of the State House of Assembly.

It further directed all parties to keep the status quo ante litem as of July 5, 2024 until the court considers and renders a decision on the application for an interlocutory injunction.

We so grant an Order of Interim Injunction prohibiting the 31st and 32nd Defendants from engaging with the 1st–27th Defendants in their role as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Until the hearing and move on notice for interlocutory injunction, which has already been filed, they are also not permitted to accept, forward, or act on any resolutions, articles of impeachment, or other defendants.

While the parties awaiting the hearing and decision on the notice move for an interlocutory injunction they have previously filed remain in the same posture as of July 5, 2024, the court orders the parties engaged in this litigation to do.

Directing the 1st-30th Defendants to the Quarters, situated opposite the former NDDC offices, off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the court orders to substitute the original and other processes in this matter.

But the court adjourned the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction until July 15, 2024.