A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday issued an order directing the two factions in the Rivers State House of Assembly to suspend further deliberations until the case before it is determined.
This is after embattled lawmaker Edison Ehie (pictured right), who insists he is now the speaker of the house, filed a lawsuit marked FHC/PH/CS/240/2023 to stop the Martin Amaewhule faction from presiding over the activities of the House.
Ruling on the motion filed in the suit, Justice Phoebe Ayua ordered that none of the parties on record should do anything about the issue. The judge adjourned the matter to 27 November for a hearing.
The court order comes hours after reports that the lawmakers held separate sittings yesterday.
The Martin Amaewhule faction, considered pro-Wike lawmakers, reportedly held their sitting in the early hours of Tuesday, with 25 of them in attendance.
Shortly after, a statement emerged that the Ehie faction, seen as pro-Fubara lawmakers, also sat, but the number of lawmakers in attendance and the venue were undisclosed.
Nigeria Info cannot independently verify the factions’ claims as journalists were absent in both sittings.
While there are no photos of the Ehie group’s sitting, pictures of the sitting by the Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers flooded social media.
One such photo showed at least 18 of the pro-Wike lawmakers with raised hands.
The photos showed that their sitting was held in the auditorium of the state assembly complex in Port Harcourt with a silver mace in sight, but no Sergeant-at-Arms or clerk were seen.
The crisis rocking the state assembly started on 29 October with the burning of the Assembly complex amid rumors that the lawmakers had planned to impeach the state governor, Siminalaye Fubara.
The next day, the house was split with the removal of the leader of the house, Edison Ehie by 27 lawmakers. The crisis has lingered ever since.
