The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State have faulted the experte order that restrained Martins Amaewhule and Dumle Maol from parading themselves as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
A State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Justice M.W. Danagogo had on Tuesday, declared Edison Ehie as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Reacting to the court order, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC in Rivers State, Tony Okocha described the orders of the court as an abuse of court processes.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Okocha stated that the hasty orders by Justice Danagogo was targeted at granting Governor, Siminalayi Fubara the opportunity to present the N800bn budget to four House of Assembly members which he said is in defiance of the warning of the National Judicial Commission (NJC).
“Today, Rivers State people woke up to hear that one Justice Danagogo of the Rivers State High Court, granted with impunity, an exparte order to one Honorable Edison Ehie, recognizing him as Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly.
“In the case of the issue, arguments had been taken and judgement reserved for January 2023.
“Surprisingly today on the same subject matter, Justice Danagogo granted an exparte order our outing to recognize Honorable Edison as Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly.
“This is fragrant abuse of court processes. The Judge claimed that the case which was filed by Honorable Edison on 30th of October, 2023 and assigned to him on the first of November 2023, for all this length of time, if it was urgent why did the judge wait till today December 12, 2023 to grant an exparte order?”
Okocha claimed the fear of the loss of 27 state lawmakers who defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that has led to “the procurement of an exparte order from the court of Justice Danagogo who is the younger brother to Doctor Tammy Danagogo who serves in government as Secretary to the State Government.
Okocha accused Justice Danagogo of berating the NJC.
He threatened that the judge will be petitioned to the NJC if the judgement is not reversed immediately.
Okocha who is also the Rivers State representative in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Management Board, advised Governor Fubara to refrain from actions that may escalate the political tension in the state orchestrated by his party, the PDP.
