The Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, has moved to clarify a recent court judgment regarding the status of Martin Amaewhule and 26 other members of the State House of Assembly.
Iboroma accuses media outlets of misrepresenting the court’s decision in the suit. He claimes that reports suggesting the court affirmed Martin Amaewhule as Speaker and reinstated 26 lawmakers as members of the House of Assembly and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are inaccurate.
Iboroma in a statement issued on Wednesday, urged media outlets to rely on the court’s enforceable orders, which detail the specific actions the court mandates.
He said: “Yesterday, I briefed the press and made the point that there is a misrepresentation of the judgment of the High Court of Rivers State in social, print, and electronic media.
“My position has been confirmed and vindicated by the Certified True Copy of the court order in Suit No. DHC/20/CS/2024.
“Whatever finding of fact that is not included in the court order is an Obiter Dictum, which has no binding force.
“Once again, I respectively urge the media to desist from giving any interpretation to any judgement without first reading the content of the judgement and seeking legal advice.”
Iboroma insisted that the court did not issue any declarations regarding Amaewhule’s speakership or the party affiliation of the 26 individuals.
“That this suit be and is hereby dismissed/struck out for want of jurisdiction.
“That the Peoples Democratic Party be and is hereby joined as 4th defendant. That the claimants’ case be and is hereby dismissed for lacking in merit.
“Contrary to the false claims and misrepresentation in social, print and electronic media, the court did not make a declaration that Martin Amaewhule is the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, neither did it make a declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 26 others are members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Peoples Democratic Party.
“If it were so, it would have been embodied in the court orders which have been circulated to you all and displayed by me here for the purpose of clarity,” Iboroma stated.
Court Did Not Declare Amaewhule, 26 Other Lawmakers PDP members, Rivers AG Clarifies is first published on The Whistler Newspaper