According to Punch, The Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned a lower court's decision, reinstating 24 lawmakers loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike to the Rivers State House of Assembly. The lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023.
The appeal court's judgment has sparked division within the APC in Rivers State, with the caretaker committee chairman, Tony Okocha, welcoming the decision, while the camp loyal to Rotimi Amaechi disagreed. Okocha stated that justice had been served, while Amaechi's camp argued that the judgment did not change the fact that the lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC.
The development has further polarized the Rivers State House of Assembly, which has been embroiled in a crisis since 2023. The pro-Wike lawmakers had announced their defection from the PDP to the APC amid a political rift between Wike and incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The APC's national legal adviser, Prof Abdulkareem Kana, hailed the appeal court verdict, stating that it was a clear position that did not come as a surprise. The Rivers State government and the PDP chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, could not be reached for comment.