In a significant ruling, the Rivers State High Court affirmed that Martin Amaewhule and 26 other legislators of the Rivers State House of Assembly are still members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The court’s decision, delivered by Justice Okogbule Gbasam on Monday, dismissed a case brought by Wosa Amadi and three others.
The plaintiffs had sought to declare the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant, alleging they defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023.
Justice Gbasam emphasized that Martin Amaewhule and his colleagues remain affiliated with the PDP.
He further ruled that the claimants failed to substantiate their allegations of defection to the APC. The judge pointed out that mere newspaper publications, radio announcements, or online posts were insufficient to establish defection.
According to him, defection can only be confirmed through the party’s membership register, possession of a valid membership card, and adherence to all party membership obligations.
This ruling settles a contentious issue regarding the political affiliation of these lawmakers and reinforces the procedural requirements for proving defection under Nigerian law.
