Rivers Assembly crisis: Appeal Court dismisses case against Tinubu, Fubara, others

An Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out an appeal filed by His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe and nine others against a judgment of the Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice Chinwendu Nworgu.
The initial suit was against President Bola Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Martins Amaewhule and 24 others, and was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
Justice Nworgu had previously struck out the suit filed by Sara-Igbe and nine other Rivers elders, ruling that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The three-man panel of the Appeal Court, led by Justice Elfreda Oluwayamisi-Dawodu, on Friday dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the state High Court did not have the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, describing the plaintiffs’ actions as merely academic exercises.
The claimants had approached the High Court seeking interpretation of the Nigerian Constitution regarding whether President Tinubu had the legal right to direct the governor to re-present the 2024 budget to 24 lawmakers led by Amaewhule, even after their seats were declared vacant.
Justice Nworgu, during a ruling on applications for substituted service against Amaewhule, the Rivers State House of Assembly, and the Peoples Democratic Party, had struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction, leading to the appeal.
Rivers Assembly crisis: Appeal Court dismisses case against Tinubu, Fubara, others