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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued an order stopping the two factions in the Rivers State House of Assembly to maintain status quo and suspend further deliberations until the matter before it is dispensed.
Edison Ehie, who claimed to be authentic House Speaker, in Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/240/2023 had approached the Federal High court presided over by Justice Phoebe Ayua praying the court to stop his opponent, Martin Amaewhule (who is referred as former speaker) and the other lawmakers from presiding over the activities of the legislative arm of the state.
The Notice was filed together with the main suit by Ehie and the House of Assembly.
Parties as it appears in the suit are Rivers State House of Assembly, as first plaintiff, and Rt.Hon. (Barr) Ehie Ogerenye Edison (Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly) as second defendant.
While the Defendants are Rt. Hon. Martins Chike Amaewhule, (Former Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly), Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol (former Deputy Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, the Inspector-General of Police, Director, Department of State Security Services, Rivers State, Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.
Justice Ayua, ruling on the motion filed in the suit ordered that none of the parties on record should do anything about the matter since they (parties) are expected to respect the court.
The order read in part: “That an Order is made directing the plaintiffs/applicants to put the Respondents on Notice forthwith.
“That an Oder is, however, made, directing that all parties on record respect the Court and should not take any step concerning the subject matter, since the matter is already before this Court – Sub judice – pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice”
In the suit, the new Speaker and the House of Assembly itself sought for, among others, a declaration that the former speaker and his former deputy, having been removed and suspended from the House, are not entitled to participate, disturb, interfere or obstruct the performance of the legislative proceedings of the House and the legislative duties of the new speaker in accordance with the provisions of sections 90 to 104 of the Constitution of Nigeria.
They also sought for an order restraining the former two principal officers of the House from interfering or participating in the functions of the House of Assembly.
After entering the order, the court fixed for hearing the motion on notice on November 27, 2023.
It would be recalled that following some disagreement arising from the attempt by the Amaewhule-led leadership of the House to impeach the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State House of Assembly has been facing some leadership crisis leading to the purported removal of Amaewhule as speaker and the election of Ehie as the new speaker by his faction.
