In a significant judgement delivered on Monday, Justice Okogbule Gbasam of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has affirmed that Martin Amaewhule and 26 other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly remain members of the People’s Democratic Party.
The court held that the claimants failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the lawmakers had defected to the All Progressives Congress.
According to Justice Gbasam, membership in a political party can only be proven through listing on the party’s register or a membership card, and not by mere verbal statements or television ceremonies.
The PDP had earlier been joined as the fourth defendant in the case, and the court’s ruling confirms that the Rivers state government is bound by the laws passed by the Assembly, as the lawmakers remain members of the PDP, according to Channels TV.
The judgement implies that Amaewhule and the 26 lawmakers have not lost their seats, and their names remain on the PDP’s membership register.
This ruling has significant implications for the political landscape in Rivers State.
