Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has been retrained by the National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, from dissolving the state House of Assembly and their agents or interfering with the tenure of office of the 23 local government council chairmen in Rivers State.
Justice J. Agbadu-Fishim, the trial judge at the National Industrial Court, made the order on Monday, June 22, 2015 following an ex-parte application argued by counsel to the council chairmen.
The defendants of the suit included:
Governor Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Attorney General, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General of the Federation and Inspector General of Police.
The judge held that, “The governor of Rivers State, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Attorney-General of Rivers state and their agents are hereby restrained from dissolving, suspending, sacking, terminating or in any manner, whatsoever, interfering with the tenure of office of the 23 council chairmen of Rivers State, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”
On Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, the Attorney General of the State and counsel to the Rivers State Government, Emma Aguma accused the council chairmen of abuse of court process for filing the same process before the National Industrial court in Bayelsa State.
Mr Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) council of the plaintiffs, stated that his clients did not abuse court process as alleged by the state Attorney general.
