PDP Files Lawsuit Against Bayelsa Assembly Over Deputy Gov Impeachment Plans

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has requested the Federal High Court in Abuja to be included as a relevant party in the legal action...

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has requested the Federal High Court in Abuja to be included as a relevant party in the legal action initiated by the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, against the State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the legislative body, and five other individuals concerning the efforts to remove him from office.

The individuals involved in the legal action are taking steps towards removing the deputy governor, accused of not switching allegiance from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside the state governor, Douye Diri.

On Thursday, during the hearing of the lawsuit, John Itodo, acting on behalf of the PDP, brought the court's attention to the party's motion requesting to be added as a relevant party to the case.

Itodo informed the court that the PDP aims to become the second plaintiff in the lawsuit to bolster the argument of the first plaintiff, as the majority of members in the Bayelsa state House of Assembly were elected under the PDP's banner.

He informed the court that, under section 109(1) paragraph G of the 1999 Constitution, their positions are automatically void due to their act of defection.

The PDP committee stated that there is no qualified House of Assembly in Bayelsa state after 16 out of the 24 members of the House defected.

Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that, until the motion for joining the PDP is considered and decided, no further proceedings in the case will take place, and therefore postponed the hearing until December 16 to address the PDP's request for inclusion.

It is worth noting that the court, on October 27, directed the defendants to appear before it and explain why they should not be prevented from taking any action to impeach the state's Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo, until the motion on notice regarding this matter is heard and decided.

Justice Emeka issued the order while adjudicating an ex-parte application numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/2219/2025, submitted by the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State through his lawyer, Reuben Egwuaba, against the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the State Assembly, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Attorney General of Bayelsa State, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, and the Clerk of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

The plaintiff, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a motion submitted on October 17, requested the court to issue an interim injunction order, compelling the defendants to appear and justify why the requests for an interim injunction in the motion on notice currently before the court should not be approved against them until the hearing and resolution of the aforementioned motion on notice.

He also requests a court order preventing the defendants from "removing or removing him as the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, and by ignoring the provisions of Section 188(5), (6), (7)(a), (b), (8), (9) and (11) and Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), regarding the plaintiff's decision not to switch/leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any registered political party before the end of his four-year term as an elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State pending the hearing of the motion on notice."

The Deputy Governor is seeking an order that prevents the defendants from starting any impeachment notice, impeachment processes or meetings of the Bayelsa state House of Assembly against him, due to his choice of not switching allegiance from the PDP to the APC before completing his four-year term as an elected Deputy Governor of Bayelsa state, until the motion on notice is considered.

He further requests an order preventing the defendants from holding any meeting, session, or conference aimed at starting or encouraging impeachment actions against him, as well as an order preventing the defendants from acknowledging or engaging with the appointment of any APC member as the Deputy Governor of the state until the Motion of Notice is heard.

Ewhrudjakpo also seeks that the defendants be prohibited from carrying out illegal and unlawful impeachment actions against the plaintiff, as well as an order preventing any efforts to start impeachment proceedings against him due to his decision not to resign from the PDP. This includes the state governor, the speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, and 23 members of the state House of Assembly, who were involved in an executive meeting in Bayelsa State on October 15, 2025, pending the consideration of the motion on notice.

He further requests a court order that prevents the IGP, DSS Director, and the Bayelsa state Attorney General from removing his security protection as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, until the motion on notice is heard.

After reviewing the affidavit submitted in support of the ex-parte motion, which was sworn by Kareem Henry, and following the arguments presented by plaintiff's attorney, Reuben Egwuaba, the court issued a decision on October 27 that granted the first request in the interest of justice.

As per Justice Nwite, "an order requiring the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh defendants to appear and explain why an interim injunction should not be issued" against them while the motion for an interlocutory injunction is being considered, which aims to prevent the defendants from taking any action to remove the deputy governor.

The court subsequently postponed the case until November 13 to consider the motion for an interim injunction against the defendants.

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