A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, and others to halt further moves to impeach the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, until the determination of the motion on notice filed over the matter.
Justice Emeka Nwite also directed the Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly and five others to appear and show cause why they should not be stopped from making any move to impeach Deputy Governor Ewhrudjakpo, over alleged misconduct relating to not defecting to another political party.
The trial Judge, Justice Emeka gave the order on October 27, while ruling on an ex-parte motion marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/2219/2025 filed by the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor against the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the State Assembly, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Attorney General, the Chief Judge, and the Clerk of the assembly.
Ewhrudjakpo had, in the motion filed on October 17 prayed the court for an order of interim injunction directing the defendants to appear and show cause why the prayers for interim injunction in the motion on notice pending before the court should not be granted against them pending the hearing and determination of the aforesaid motion on notice.
He also prays for an order of court restraining the defendants from, “Removing or impeaching him as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state arid by disregarding the provision of Section 188(5), (6), (7)(a), (b), (8), (9) and (11) and Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) on the decision of the plaintiff not to defect/decamp from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any registered political party before the expiration of his four years tenure as an elected deputy governor of Bayelsa state pending hearing of the motion on notice.”
The Deputy Governor also wants an order restraining the defendants from initiating impeachment notice, impeachment proceedings/meetings of the Bayelsa state House of Assembly against him on his decision not to defect/decamp from the PDP to the APC before the expiration of his four years tenure as an elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
The matter was later adjourned till November 13 for further hearing.
How Ewhrudjakpo, Diri fell out
It would be recalled that the Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who was a political ally of Governor Douye Diri, until October 15, when the governor resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), felt out when he refused to join his boss to resign from the party.
Ewhrudjakpo, an influential government figure when he served as Commissioner for Works during the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson between 2012 to 2019, was first elected to represent Bayelsa West senatorial district at the National Assembly.
He had also enjoyed a cordial working relationship with Governor Diri throughout their first tenure and early part of the second term.
Already, out of the 24 members in the state House of Assembly, 21 members are already with the governor while 3 who are loyal to Dickson opted to remain in PDP.
Findings revealed that the incumbent Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere is already tipped to replace Ewhrudjakpo after the impeachment.
It was learnt that a member from one of the constituencies in Ekeremor local government, who is a former youth leader in the state is to take over as the Speaker.
A source revealed that one of the reasons why Governor Diri is delaying to announce his new party is to give the Deputy Governor time to change his mind and join him to resign from the party.
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