The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has slated December 5 as the commencement date for the lawsuit initiated by Edison Ehie, the factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
News about Nigeria gathered that the legal action seeks control of the state legislature amid the turmoil sparked by the attempted impeachment of Governor Siminialayi Fubara by the elected Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, and 23 other lawmakers.
Ehie proclaimed himself Speaker in the midst of the Assembly’s crisis and subsequently filed a lawsuit to prevent Amaewhule from presiding over House proceedings.
It was gathered that the court had earlier directed all parties to maintain the existing state of affairs until the resolution of Ehie’s lawsuit.
In response to the alleged defiance of the court’s order, Ehie initiated contempt proceedings against Amaewhule, claiming that his faction continued legislative activities.
During Monday’s proceedings, a dispute over legal representation emerged, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria K.C.O. Njemanze informing the court that he had been hired to replace N.O. Akporuvweku, the original counsel.
However, Akporuvweku contested the change, asserting that he had not officially been notified and maintained his role as the plaintiff’s legal representative.
Ferdinand Oshoke, counsel for the first and second defendants, urged the court to consolidate and expedite the hearing on all applications related to the matter, underscoring its significance to the legislative arm of government.
The scheduled hearing on December 5 is anticipated to address the complex legal entanglements surrounding the Rivers State House of Assembly dispute, which now includes a clash between lawyers over the right to represent Edison Ehie in the case.
