Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the deputy governor of Bayelsa state, has filed a lawsuit against the speaker of the house, the inspector general of police (IG), and others in connection with an alleged scheme to have him removed from office.
The initiating summons (marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2212025) made several allegations by Ewhrudjakpo, including that he was being pressed by members of the House of Assembly to step down from their positions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party they were elected on, because he had not resigned like the governor.
The Nation states that the deputy governor did not resign from the PDP when Governor Douye Diri quit from the party.
His attorney, Reuben Egwuaba, took legal action by suing the House of Assembly, claiming that its members were conspiring to remove Ewhrudjakpo from office. The case was heard in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Mrs. Alice Tange, chairwoman of Sagbama Local Government, and other local government chairmen were allegedly threatened with dismissal for not abandoning the PDP with the governor.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the defendants’ appearance before the court to demonstrate why the plaintiff should not be granted the interim reliefs on October 27, following Egwuaba’s ex-parte motion.
Defendants include the following individuals and entities: the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of the state, the Attorney General of Bayelsa State, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), and the Clerk of the Assembly.
In his decision, Justice Nwite upheld the principle that, awaiting the hearing and decision of the plaintiff’s move on notice, it would be just to require the defendants to attend and demonstrate why an interim injunction should not be imposed against them.
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