Rivers ex-factional Speaker withdraws court suit, gets appointment as Chief of Staff

Hon. Edison Ehie, former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly has withdrawn his suit seeking to halt the recognition of Hon. Martin Amaewhule of the Barr.Wike led faction as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly abd to prevent him from carrying out legislative functions.

Similarly, the former factional Speaker has been appointed as the Chief of Staff to Governor Sim Fubara.

Recall that the resolution signed by the Governor and Wike during the peace meeting held at the instance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu included the recognition of Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule as Speaker of the House.

Ehie had in Suit No. PHC/3638/CS/2023, instituted in a State High Court in Port Harcourt, challenged the sittings and the subsequent legislative activities carried out by the 25 lawmakers after the declaration of their sits vacant. Hon. Edison Ehie and others had instituted the case against Rt. Hon. Martins Chike Amaewhule and 24 others.

When the matter came up for hearing of applications pending before the court, yesterday, Counsel for the Claimants, I. Mac-Barango, Esq. drew the court’s attention to a notice of discontinuance filed by the Claimants in the matter.

Barango applied that the court should give effect to the said Notice of discontinuance based on the notice.

Defendant’s counsels, Chief Ferdinand Orbih, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Emeka Onyeka, did not object to the said application.

It would be recalled that on the 29th of December, Ehie, had written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on his resignation as the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the lawmaker representing Ahoada Constituency II.

However, the presiding Judge, Hon. Justice F. A. Fiberesima, pursuant to the said application by claimants’ Counsel, struck out the suit accordingly