The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgement in the appeal filed by former Speaker of the River State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule and 24 others against the Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo and five others.
The appallate court adjourned after parties in the suit adopted all their briefs in the matter.
At the proceeding that was conducted virtually on Thursday, Amaewhule and others are asking the court to stay execution of the High Court judgement which sent them out of office and further proceedings in the suit and that whatever decisions Oko-Jumbo has taken while in office should be set aside.
The appellants are also asking for accelerated hearing in the matter, while contending that the order made by the trial court was without jurisdiction.
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In their response, the respondents prayed the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit on grounds that the records of appeal transmitted was incompetent.
After listening to the submission of the lawyers in the appeal, the three-man panel led by Justice Jimi Olukayode-Bada reserved a date for judgement, to be communicated to parties in the suit.
The appallet court had in a ruling on June 14, ordered that all parties in the suit maintain status quo and cease every form of hostilities until the matter is heard and decided.
This was to lay to rest a motion ex parte brought before the court by the appellants seeking reversal of a High Court judgement that declared their seats vacant as lawmakers.
The Court of Appeal also stopped the State High Court or any other court from entertaining the matter until it is decided.
A Rivers State High Court, in Port Harcourt, had on May 10, 2024 stopped Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The court gave the order after considering a motion brought before it by the new factional Speaker of the Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo and two others, to the effect that his seat had been declared vacant.
Justice Charles Wali, while ruling on the motion ex parte also barred 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.
Dissatisfied with the verdict of the State High Court, Amaewhule and others approached the appellate court.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
