A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has ordered the two factions of the Rivers State House of Assembly to suspend further sittings until a matter involving the lawmakers before the court is determined.
Factional Speaker of the House, Edison Ehie, had in a suit No: FHC/PH/CS/240/2023, approached the court presided over by Justice Phoebe Ayua, asking the court to stop Martins Amaewhule and the other lawmakers from presiding over the activities of the house.
The notice was filed with the main suit by Ehie, as the new Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
The plaintiffs in the suit are Rivers House of Assembly, and Ehie.
The defendants are the factional Speaker, Amaewhule, Dumle Maol (former Deputy Speaker), the Inspector-General of Police, Director, Department of State Security Services, Rivers State, and Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.
Ruling on the motion filed in the suit, Justice Ayua ordered that none of the parties should do anything about the matter.
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The order read in part, “That an order is made directing the plaintiffs/applicants to put the respondents on notice forthwith.
“That an order 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, factional Speaker Ehie and the House of Assembly are seeking, amongst others, a declaration that the former speaker and former deputy, having been removed and suspended from the House, are not entitled to participate, 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.
They also sought an order restraining the former two principal officers of the House from interfering or participating in the functions of the House.
The court fixed hearing of the motion on notice on November 27, 2023.
Following a disagreement arising from the attempt by a factional leadership of the House to impeach Governor Fubara, the State Assembly has been facing some crisis leading to the removal of the former speaker and the election of Edison as new speaker.
