Was ‘Speaker’ Terkimbi Ikyange In Contempt Of Court When He Convened The ‘House’ On Monday?

Drama played out in the Benue State House of Assembly on Monday when seven members out of 30-members ‘sat’ and suspended other lawmakers that were prevented by the police from accessing the Chambers.

The session was presided over by Terkimbi Ikyange, who was last week, July 24 impeached. 21 members sacked Ikyange, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), after a motion of no confidence was moved by Hon. Richard Ujege, who represents Konshisha state constituency.

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Also impeached was the Deputy Speaker, James Okefe Ejembi and Majority Leader, Benjamin Tilley Adanyi.

Immediately after the impeachment, the assembly elected Titus Uba, the lawmaker representing Kyan state constituency as its new Speaker.

However, Ikyange rejected his removal from office and insisted he remained the speaker.

Following the development, 22 members filed a suit at the Benue High Court urging the court to restrain the impeached speaker and the other sacked officers from parading themselves as such.

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The Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Adam Onum, granted the exparte order of interim injunction restraining the impeached speaker, Ikyange, and the other officers from parading themselves as officers of the House.

Justice Onum ordered: “This motion is supported by an affidavit of 28 paragraphs deposed to be by Rt. Hon. Avine Agbom who is the third applicant in the motion and who has described himself therein as having the authority of the other to do so.

“I have looked at the contents of the affidavit particularly in paragraphs 14 through 26 inclusive thereof. I have no doubts in my mind that the applicants have made out a case that deserves the interim order sought to hold matters in status quo ante pending when the motion on notice will be determined.”

Similarly, the judge ordered police to vacate the State Assembly Complex and restrained the Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services, and their agents from sealing off the premises of the State Assembly complex where the 22 applicants carry out their legislative duties.

Hearing in the substantive matter was fixed for August 6th, 2018.

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DEVELOPMENT

Unmindful of the subsisting order, Ikyange alongside the other officers barred by the court and four others in league with the police stormed the assembly complex and held a sitting suspending the majority of lawmakers.

The House of seven proceeded to initiating impeachment proceedings against Governor Samuel Ortom.

FACT

Given that it is established that there is a subsisting court order which has not been validly vacated by a court of either coordinate jurisdiction or a higher court, it can be established that Mr. Ikyange and the sacked officers with the police are in contempt of court.

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