The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by former Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers, Channels Television reports.
During the virtual proceedings, Amaewhule’s legal team made several key requests of the court.
Firstly, they asked the appeals court to stay the execution of the high court’s judgment that removed Amaewhule and the other appellants from office.
They also sought to nullify any decisions made by Oko-Jumbo while in the speaker’s chair.
Additionally, the appellants requested an accelerated hearing, arguing that the matter is of an urgent nature.
However, the respondents, including Oko-Jumbo and five others, contested the appeal, urging the court to dismiss it for lack of merit.
They claimed the records of appeal transmitted to the court were incompetent.
After hearing the submissions from both sides, the three-judge panel led by Justice Jimi Olukayode-Bada reserved judgment, stating that the date will be communicated to the parties at a later time.
This latest development follows a recent ruling by the appeals court ordering all parties to maintain the status quo and cease any further hostilities until the matter is resolved.
The court also barred the state high court or any other court from entertaining the case in the meantime.
The underlying dispute began in May 2024 when the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt stopped Amaewhule from continuing as the speaker.
In an ex parte ruling, Justice Charles Wali declared the seats of Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers vacant, following a suit filed by Oko-Jumbo claiming he was the rightful speaker.
Dissatisfied with the high court’s verdict, Amaewhule and the others appealed the decision, leading to the current proceedings before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
