The Court of Appeal in Abuja has formed a special three-member panel to handle political cases arising from Rivers State, with hearings set to begin on Thursday, November 14.
This decision comes in response to a growing number of legal battles fueled by the political rivalry between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who now serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The feud between the two leaders has led to a surge in legal cases, creating divisions among political factions in the state and resulting in conflicting rulings from courts of similar authority. This has drawn criticism from both judiciary stakeholders and the public, prompting the Court of Appeal to take steps to streamline the resolution of these disputes.
To address the situation, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, appointed a special panel to oversee all appeals related to the political crisis in Rivers State. The panel will be led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, with Justices Misitura Bokaji-Yusuf and James Abundaga as members. It will hear cases involving key political figures and factions within the state.
Among the appeals scheduled for hearing is one filed by Governor Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly, as well as cases involving both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the alleged defection of 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike from the PDP to the APC.
On Monday, a separate panel adjourned three appeals, including one filed by the Rivers State Government against the Rivers State House of Assembly and others, to be heard by the newly constituted special panel. The presiding Justice, Hamma Barka, confirmed that the appeal, marked CA/ABJ/PRE/ROA/CV/1211m1/2024, was one of the cases to be handled by the special panel.
Chief Paul Erokoro, a senior lawyer representing the appellant, informed the court that steps were being taken to ensure all respondents who had not yet been served would receive the necessary documents before Thursday’s hearing. He also noted that he had recently received filings from the respondents and requested time to prepare his response.
Counsel for the first and second respondents, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN) and Joshua Musa (SAN), who represent additional respondents, agreed to the adjournment request.
Additionally, two other cases—one involving the Accountant General of Rivers State against the Rivers State House of Assembly and another filed by the Action Peoples Party against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others—were also adjourned to Thursday for hearing by the Otisi-led panel.
The creation of this special panel is seen as a crucial step toward resolving the ongoing political disputes in Rivers State, with hopes that it will bring clarity and expedite the resolution of the legal challenges, helping to restore order amidst the state’s political upheaval.
