The Rivers State High Court has ordered the 27 lawmakers who joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11 and loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former governor of the state, from using the assembly premises.

According to The Punch, the court decision followed a directive of Governor Siminalayi Fubara that the assembly complex was under renovation.

The court also asked the factional speaker loyal to the governor, Edison Ehie, to preside over the activities of the house until the determination of the motion before it.

In an ex-perte motion filed in suit No. PHC/3030/CS/2023, Justice M.W Danagogo of the High Court gave the order on Tuesday, December 12. In the suit, the first and second claimants are the Rivers State House of Assembly and Ehie, while the defendants are Martin Amaewhule and the deputy speaker, Dumle Maol.

In the suit prepared by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ehie prayed to the court to stop Amaewhule and his camp loyal to Wike from accessing the state assembly complex until the burnt area of the chamber was fully renovated.

Ehie also asked the court to declare him as the authentic speaker of the house under the matter before it was decided and urged the court to stop Amaewhule from parading himself as the speaker of the House.

The trial court then granted the prayer of Ehie and urged Amaewhule and 26 others from using the assembly complex. The court also threatened that Ehie would pay an N50m fine if the application were frivolous.