Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has clarified that the Supreme Court’s verdict on Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s appeal against the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly did not decide the authentic Speaker of the Assembly.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, Falana explained that the appeal was dismissed solely because Fubara voluntarily withdrew it, making further litigation unnecessary.

“When an appeal is dismissed not on merit but on the basis of withdrawal by the appellant, the question of celebration doesn’t arise,” he stated. “The governor of Rivers State instructed his lawyers to withdraw the appeal on the grounds that it had become an academic exercise.”

He emphasized that contrary to some reports, the Supreme Court did not rule on the legitimacy of the Rivers State House of Assembly leadership.

“The original case at the Federal High Court was about the 2024 budget proposal, which the governor said had already been passed into law. There was no need to continue litigation,” he added.

The Rivers Assembly has been in crisis since 2023, following the defection of over 25 lawmakers loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This led to a split between the Amaewhule-led faction and the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led faction, which is aligned with Fubara.

Despite the division, Fubara has continued to transact state business with the Oko-Jumbo-led group, disregarding the Amaewhule faction.

Falana argued that the 27 lawmakers who defected to the APC lost their seats upon leaving the PDP, stating that under Nigerian law, three lawmakers can validly conduct legislative duties except in cases of impeachment.

“The moment those lawmakers defected, their seats became vacant,” he affirmed.