Boma Achenimie 
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has dismissed a suit filed by the Labour Party (LP) challenging the defection of the suspended Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 26 other lawmakers.
Delivering the judgment on Tuesday, Justice Emmanuel Obile held that the matter had already been settled by the Supreme Court, which, according to him, stripped the lower court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
The Labour Party had approached the court seeking to declare the seats of Amaewhule and the 26 others vacant following their alleged defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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While adopting his final written address, counsel to the defendants, Ken Njemanze (SAN), argued that the suit lacked merit in light of the apex court’s recent ruling, which affirmed the legitimacy of the lawmakers.
Justice Obile, in his ruling, agreed with the defendants and described the case as an abuse of the court process.
However, counsel to the Labour Party, Clifford Chuku, had urged the court to hear the matter on its merit, arguing that the issue of defection was only a collateral concern in the Supreme Court’s judgment.
The court, nonetheless, dismissed the suit for want of jurisdiction.
