The faction of lawmakers in Rivers led by Martins Amaewhule has been barred from parading themselves as the state lawmakers.
A state high court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, issued the order on Friday while ruling on an application filed by the opposition faction led by Victor Jumbo, as speaker.
Mr Jumbo and two of his colleagues – Sokari Goodboy and Orubienimigha Timothy – are of the opinion that Mr Amaewhule and 24 of his colleagues have lost their seats in the assembly due to their decamping from the political platform which they were elected lawmakers.
The affected lawmakers are loyalists of Federal Capital Territory minister Nyesom Wike who is at loggerheads with his successor Governor Similanayi Fubara.
The court also barred the governor, the attorney-general and state’s chief judge listed as 26th to 28th defendants, from interacting with the affected lawmakers.
It then ordered the aggrieved lawmakers stop parading themselves as members of the assembly or conducting any legislative business as members of the house while preventing them from “sitting at the auditorium of the house of assembly quarters located along Aba Road or any other place whatsoever to conduct business as members of the house of assembly.”
The court further ordered “substituted service on the lawmakers within seven days from the date by substituted means to wit by pasting at the entrance gate of the Rivers state house of assembly legislative quarters”.
