From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, has withdrawn his suit seeking to stop Martin Amaewhule and his group from sitting and carrying out legislative functions.
Ehie had Suit No. PHC/3638/CS/2023, instituted in a State High Court in Port Harcourt, challenged the sittings and the subsequent legislative activities carried out by the 25 lawmakers after the declaration of their seats vacant.
Ehie and others had instituted the case against Martins Chike Amaewhule and 24 others.
When the matter came up for hearing of applications pending before the court, yesterday, counsel for the claimants, I. Mac-Barango, drew the court’s attention to a notice of discontinuance filed by the claimants in the matter.
Barango applied that the court should give effect to the said notice of discontinuance based on the notice.
Defendant’s counsel, Ferdinand Orbih and Emeka Onyeka, did not object to the said application.
On December 29, 2023, Ehie had written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on his resignation as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the lawmaker representing Ahoada-East Constituency II.
However, the presiding Judge, Justice F. A. Fiberesima, pursuant to the said application by claimants’ counsel, struck out the suit accordingly.