Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, has set the record straight on a recent court judgment, stating that the court did not declare Martin Amaewhule as the Speaker of the House of Assembly nor affirmed him and 26 others as members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Iboroma, who made the declaration in a statement in Port Harcourt on Wednesday morning, said: “The certified true copy of the court order in Suit No. DHC/20/CS/2024 has vindicated my earlier position that there was a misrepresentation of the judgment in the media,” Iboroma said.
“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.”
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Iboroma emphasized that the court orders were clear: “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.”
He warned against misinterpreting court judgments, stating, “Whatever finding of fact that is not included in the court order is an Obiter Dictum, which has no binding force. Once again, I respectfully urge the media to desist from giving any interpretation to any judgment without first reading the content of the judgment and seeking legal advice.”
Iboroma’s clarification comes after a recent court judgment was widely reported, leading to confusion.
He urged the media to be accurate and seek legal advice to avoid spreading misinformation, saying, “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.”
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