Court Stops Rivers Assembly Factions From Further Sittings

Mohammed Shosanya

 A Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday issued an order directing the two factions of the Rivers State House of Assembly to maintain status quo and suspend further sitti until the pending suit before it is dispensed with.

A factional Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, had approached the Court presided over by Hon. Justice Phoebe Ayua, urging it to stop Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and the other lawmakers from presiding over the activities of the legislative arm of the state government.

The Notice was filed together with the main suit, marked FHC/PH/CS/240/2023 by Ehie, as the new Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Defendants in the suit includes, the factional Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, former Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol, the Inspector-General of Police, Director, Department of State Security Services, Rivers State, and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.

The plaintiffs in the suit are the Rivers State House of Assembly, as first plaintiff, and Rt. Hon. (Barr) Ehie Ogerenye Edison (Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly) as second plaintiff.

In his ruling on the motion, Justice Ayua ordered all parties in the matter to respect the court and stay action forthwith until the determination of the suit.

The order reads 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 to 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.”

The factional Speaker, Ehie and the House of Assembly itself, are seeking a declaration that the former speaker and his former deputy, having been removed and suspended from the House were no longer 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 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

The plaintiffs are also seeking an order restraining two former principal officers of the House from interfering or participating in the functions of the House of Assembly.

The court following its order adjourned till November 27, 2023 for hearing of the motion on notice.