Edison Ehie withdraws suit against Amaewhule led Rivers Assembly lawmakers

By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit filed by Edison Ehie, a former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly against Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule and 25 lawmakers over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to All Progressives Congress, APC.

Ehie, led four lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the battle for control of the politics of the state against his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

The 27 members of the House led by Amaewhule were loyal to Wike.

Ehie had declared the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant after they defected from the PDP to the APC.

However, two of the lawmakers later returned to the PDP.

He subsequently filed the suit to stop the lawmakers from sitting after he declared their seats vacant as the factional speaker.

However, Counsel to Ehie, Barr. Marc-Barengo informed the Court at the resumed hearing of the suit on Thursday of the decision of Ehie to withdraw the case.

Counsels to Amaehwule, the 24 lawmakers and the Rivers House of Assembly did not oppose the application.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice F. A. Fiberesima, struck out the suit for lack of merit.

By implication, Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers are now legally empowered to carry out their legislative functions as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

This development followed the resignation of Edison Ehie as Speaker of the House of Assembly.

It was also in line with the promise of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to implement the terms of the eight-point peace deal brokered between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike over the political crises in the state by President Bola Tinubu.

Our Correspondent reports that that with the legal obstacle cleared, there are indications that Governor Siminalayi Fubara will be representing the 2024 Rivers State budget which was earlier passed by the Edison Ehie faction at the heat of the legal tussle over the Speaker in accordance with the peace deal.