The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has filed a case before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to stop an alleged plan to remove him from office through impeachment.
The plaintiff, in the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2219/2025, claimed that he was being targeted for impeachment because he refused to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In an ex-parte motion filed before the court, Senator Ewhrudjakpo requested interim injunctions to protect his position until the substantive suit is determined.
Listed as the 1st to 7th defendants in the case are: the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, the Speaker, the Inspector General of Police, the Director of the State Security Services, the Attorney General of Bayelsa State, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, and the Clerk of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
Meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite, who declined to grant the interim orders, instructed the plaintiff to notify the defendants so that they could appear before the court on November 13 to explain why the reliefs sought should not be granted pending the case’s determination.
Specifically, the plaintiff, through an ex parte application moved by his legal team led by Mr Reuben Egwuaba, requested five interim reliefs.
Among the prayers sought was: “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th defendants from removing or impeaching the plaintiff as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State arid by disregarding the provision of Section 188(5), (6),(7) (a), (b), (8), (9)& (11) and Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 (as amended), read together with Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (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 other registered political party before the expiration of his four(4)years tenure as an elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, pending hearing of the Motion on Notice.”
Another prayer was: “An order of an interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th defendants whether by themselves, servants, agents or privies, from initiating impeachment notice, impeachment proceedings/meetings of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, against the plaintiff on the decision of the plaintiff not to defect/decamp from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any other registered political party before the expiration of his four(4) years tenure as an elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State pending the hearing of Motion on Notice.”
He also sought, “An order of an interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th & 6th defendants, either by themselves, servants, agents, privies, personal representatives, officers, officials or any other person howsoever named, from conducting any meeting, sitting, conference for the purpose of initiating or igniting impeachment proceedings against the plaintiff being the elected Executive Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, pending the hearing of motion on notice.”
Additionally, he prayed for, “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th defendants, their agents, servants, affiliates or privies, from recognizing and dealing with the appointment of any member of the APC as the Deputy Governor of Bayela State, or any other person, pending hearing of Motion on Notice.”
And lastly: “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th defendants from the conduct of an illegal and unlawful impeachment of the plaintiff which will be contrary to the provision of Section 188(5), (6), (7) (a), (b), (8), (9) & (11) and Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.”
While rejecting prayers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the ex parte motion, Justice Nwite ruled that it would serve the interest of justice for the defendants to be invited to explain why the protective orders sought by the plaintiff should not be granted.
