Edison Ehie, a former member of the Rivers House of Assembly, has withdrawn a contempt suit filed against 25 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In December, Ehie, who was the factional speaker of the assembly loyal to Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, declared the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant over their defection.
Ehie represented Ahoada East Constituency II in the Rivers Assembly.
He had filed contempt proceedings before the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt against 25 of the lawmakers, challenging their sittings and legislative activities.
At the court session that was scheduled for hearing on Wednesday, I. Mac-Barango, counsel to the claimants, drew the court’s attention to a notice of discontinuance filed by Ehie.
Barango applied that the court should give effect to the notice of discontinuance.
Ferdinand Orbih and Emeka Onyeka, lawyers for the defendants, did not object to the application.
Consequently, F. A. Fiberesima, presiding judge, struck out the suit.
On December 29, Ehie announced his resignation from the house in a letter addressed to the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former speaker did not give any reason for his action.
However, his resignation is believed to be a fallout of the political crisis between the governor and Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).
