Ehie is loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who is at loggerheads with Wike, his godfather and immediate former governor.

The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justice D.M. Danagogo, has restrained Martin Amaewhule, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from interfering and disrupting the activities of Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, Edison Ehie, from carrying out his legislative functions.

Ehie is loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who is at loggerheads with Wike, his godfather and immediate former governor.

The court issued the order on Tuesday while ruling in a Motion Exparte filed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and Edison Ehie as claimants/applicants in a suit marked PHC/3030/CS/2023, with Martin Amaewhule and Duule Maol as defendants.

The court further stated that the order came after reading the affidavit of Ehie and after hearing D. I. Iboroma, (SAN) who appeared with A. B. Ihua-Maduenyi Esq., T. C. Kinabere Esq., and P. I. Johnson Esq. as counsel for the Rivers State House of Assembly and Ehie (Claimants/Applicants).

Ehie was impeached in October during the political crisis as he was said to have frustrated attempts to impeach the Governor Fubara.

SaharaReporters on Monday reported the defection of the 27 lawmakers said to be loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory and immediate past governor of the state, Wike.

The lawmakers announced their defection on Monday at the plenary, citing division in their party - PDP as the reason for the move.

The lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule had initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, but the move failed.

But on Tuesday, the court issued an order of interim injunction “restraining the Defendants and the 2nd Claimant/Applicant either acting by themselves or through their agents, servants, privies, assigns or any person(s) acting in whatsoever manner and howsoever called or described, from further use of armed thugs accompanied by police personnel in riot gear to gain access to the Rivers State House of Assembly complex at Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State which was burnt, destroyed, damaged and rendered uninhabitable as a result of the fire that engulfed the Assembly Complex on 29th day of October, 2023, contrary to the order of the executive Governor of Rivers State relocating the sitting of the 1st Claimant to a secure and more conducive venue to ensure that the activities and meetings of the House are not disrupted during the period of the renovation of the burnt building, pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed”.

The court also gave an “order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants whether by themselves, their agents, servants, privies and representatives in whatsoever and howsoever manner from preventing, disrupting and interfering with the smooth and regular operation, management and administration of the 1st Claimant/Applicant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in this suit”.

It also gave an “order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants whether by themselves, their agents, servants, privies and representatives in whatsoever and howsoever manner from preventing, disrupting and interfering with the exercise of the 2nd Claimant/Applicant's statutory legislative duties of summoning and holding meetings, proceedings, issuing notices, passing resolutions, bills and performing other legislative functions of the 1st Claimant/Applicant pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed in this suit”.

The court further stated that the “2nd Claimant/Applicant (Ehie) is to pay the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) as damages if this application turns out to be frivolous.

“The Claimants/Applicants are further ordered to serve this Interim Order, the Motion on Notice already filed, the Originating Process and other processes in this suit on the Defendants on or before the 13th day of December, 2023.

“Leave is granted to the Claimants/Applicants to serve all the processes listed in paragraph 4 above by substituted means, to wit: by publication in two National Newspapers or by posing at a conspicuous part of the last known address of the Defendants.”

The court thereafter adjourned the matter to December 21 for motion on notice.