Legal battle begins as PH court rules in favour of Fubara’s loyal speaker

The war between godfather and godson (Nyesom Wike and Sim Fubara) which raged in parliament seems to have moved to the courts.

Tuesday, a court in Port Harcourt presided over by M.W. Danagogo ruled that the authentic speaker is Edson Ehie, the one against impeachment of Governor Fubara.

This immediately boosted the hopes in the Fubara camp as loyalists began posting the news.

The Fubara group got some court boost when he filed a suit number FHC/PH/CS/240/2023, and asked the court presided over by Phoebe Ayua to stop Martins Amaewhule and the other lawmakers from presiding over the activities of the legislative arm of the state government.

On November 28, 2023, the Court confirmed Ehie as authentic Speaker of Rivers Assembly. The court also restrained Martin Amaewhule and Dumle Maol from parading themselves or interfering with the activities of Ehie as Speaker.
A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has confirmed Edison Ehie as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Edison Ehie is one of the four lawmakers in the camp of Governor Fubara that were suspended and removed as leader of the House by his colleagues for allegedly refusing at the midnight meeting to follow their path.

Read also: Rivers defection: Can Fubara survive? What’s Wike’s next move?

He was said to be the one, as Majority Leader, to table the impeachment motion. Refusing to do this, he was the first to be removed on the floor of the House the next day to pave way for a new Majority Leader that was to table the motion.
The court has also restrained Martin Amaewhule and Dumle Maol from parading themselves or interfering with the activities of Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The court also warned against the use of thugs and police officers to forcefully gain access to the Assembly Complex.

An Abuja High Court had two weeks ago asked the Amaewhule camp to sit and operate, but some observers said the Abuja court was of equal power with the one that recognised Ehie.

The new battle is now in the courts. Two courts have ruled in favour of Fubara, one has ruled in favour of Wike.

So, the battle has moved from the Assembly to the courts and may soon move back to the Assembly when impeachment notice is to be served.

It will move back to the courts when the Chief Judge is expected to appoint a panel of investigation against the governor, an investigation that is usually a formality as verdict is often reached even before the panel is set up.