The Rivers State House of Assembly has given Governor Siminalayi Fubara a 7-day ultimatum to resubmit the 2024 Appropriation Bill for passage.
The directive was given by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule on Monday, July 8, during the lawmakers’ first sitting after several months.
Recall that Fubara had earlier presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the faction of the House led by his present Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, who was the Speaker during that period.
The Bill was then passed into law by Ehie and the pro-Fubara lawmakers, after which Governor Fubara signed it into law.
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ThisNigeria reports that the Court of Appeal had thrown out the exparte order barring Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The exparte order was issued on May 10, 2024 by the Rivers State High Court, in Port Harcourt.
Delivering the judgement on Thursday, a three-man panel led by Justice Jimi Olukayode-Bada upheld the appeal filed by Amaewhule, and 24 others against the Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo and two others.
The court also dismissed the decision of the state high court which stopped 24 other members of the Assembly from accessing the complex or carrying out any such Legislative assignment in the name of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The appellate court ruled that the ex parte order, made without jurisdiction, is null and void.
Recall that Amaewhule and other lawmakers loyal to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike had allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
However, the Rivers Assembly led by the then Speaker, Hon. Edison Ehie, on December 13, declared their seats vacant owing to their alleged defection.
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