Impeachment: Cross River Lawyer Sues Assembly Speaker, Ayambem

By Judex OKORO 

A private legal practitioner based in Cross River State, Mustapha Ogweshi, has sued the Speaker of the state house of assembly Elvert Ayambem.

Other parties joined in the suit alongside Ayambem are the office of the speaker of the state assembly, the Cross River State House of Assembly and the attorney general and commissioner of justice of the state who are 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.

The claimant in the case IN A Suit No. HC/155/2024 wants the court to determine if the first defendant has the power to continue parading as speaker after he was removed from office.

The claimant also wants the court to determine if the first defendant was legally, validly and properly removed from office.

The claimant also wants the court to determine whether a press release issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor of Cross River State can validly reinstate the first defendant as speaker.

The claimant also wants the court to determine if the first defendant can be imposed on the 3rd defendant as its speaker vide a vote of confidence by members of the 3rd defendant or by press release or by executive fiat of the governor of Cross River State.

Upon determination of these questions, the claimant wants the court to declare that the 3rd defendant currently does not have a speaker.

He also wants the court to that the first defendant remains legally, validly and properly removed as speaker and cannot be imposed or reinstated on the 3rd defendant.

A declaration that the reinstatement of the 1st defendant is unconstitutional, null and void as well as an order of injunction restraining the first defendant forthwith from acting and parading himself as speaker of the 3rd defendant.