Melodrama: Court restates Odefa as Ebonyi Deputy Speaker

The Court, in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/223/2022, also restored the seats of Odefa and two other Lawmakers, Ngozi Ezuilo representing Afikpo North East and Oliver Osi, representing Ivo State constituency.

The court order followed a motion ex parte dated 24th February, 2022 and  filed by the trio, Hon. Mrs. Ngozi Lilian Ezuiloh, Hon. Oliver O. Osi and Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa as plaintiffs  against the declaration of their seats vacant and removal of Mr Odefa as Deputy Speaker by the State House of Assembly last month.

It further barred the House of Assembly, the Speaker and the Clerk from  carrying  out  any action that will affect the membership status of the three lawmakers.

The House had last month declared the seats of Odefa and the two other Lawmakers vacant.

The Assembly claimed Odefa wrote a letter resigning his membership of the House, an allegation Odefa outrightly denied.

The House also elected Ogbonnia Ikoro as the new Deputy Speaker.

The House said it declared the seats of the two other Lawmakers vacant over their alleged  resignation from their party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and defecting to the APC.

The Lawmakers denied resigning their seats.

The three lawmakers therefore headed to the Abuja Division of the High Court to reclaim their seats and position which they  said were wrongly taken away from them.

The Ebonyi House of Assembly, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Clerk and Mr Ikoro were joined in the  suit  as 5th to  8th respondents.

Other  respondents include   the Independent National  Electoral Commission, INEC, Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services, DSS,  as 1st  to 4th respondents.

According to the court, the Judge, His  Lordship, Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo, barred the defendants from effecting any change to the status of the trio pending the hearing and final  determination of the motion on notice.

Justice Ekwo ordered all parties in the matter to maintain the status quo that hitherto existed before the House took the controversial  decisions against  the trio last month.

The Judge ordered “An Interim Order of this Honourable Court restraining the defendants, especially the 5th to 8th defendants, ether by themselves, their servants,  privies or otherwise howsoever from taking any other or further steps as it relates to the entire circumstances of this matter and  or  from disturbing the plaintiffs’ membership of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, pending the hearing  and final determination of the motion on notice.

“An order of this Honourable Court directing parties in this suit to maintain the status quo ante bellum that existed on the 18th day of February 2022 pending the hearing and final  determination of the motion on notice already pending before this Honourable Court”, Justice Ekwo further ordered. The case was adjourned to 16th March, 2022 for  motion on Notice.