The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit filed by the late Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, against the state's House of Assembly over an alleged plan to impeach him.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the ruling on Wednesday after B.K. Angaye, counsel for the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, its speaker, and other defendants, applied for the suit to be struck out. When the case was called, no lawyer appeared for Ewhrudjakpo, who died on December 11, 2025.
Angaye announced his appearance for the House of Assembly, the speaker, the Attorney-General of Bayelsa, and the clerk of the assembly, listed as the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th defendants respectively. Ifeaoma Okonkwo represented the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Angaye informed the court that the suit, which had been pending for a considerable time, had been overtaken by events. He requested that the matter be struck out. Okonkwo did not oppose the application, and Justice Nwite subsequently struck out the case.
Justice Nwite stated, “This matter is slated today for hearing, but the defence counsel informed the court that this matter has been overtaken by events. Consequently, this matter is hereby struck out.”
Ewhrudjakpo, who served as deputy governor until his death, had filed the suit to challenge an alleged plot by the state assembly to impeach him after he refused to defect alongside Governor Douye Diri from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/221/2025, Ewhrudjakpo alleged that members of the Bayelsa assembly were under pressure to remove him from office for refusing to resign from the PDP, the platform on which he and Diri were elected.
Governor Diri resigned from the PDP on November 3, 2025, but Ewhrudjakpo remained in the party. Through his lawyer, Reuben Egwuaba, the late deputy governor sought several interim orders, including restraining the state assembly from removing or impeaching him in violation of Sections 188(5)-(9), (11) and 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) due to his refusal to defect.
He also sought orders restraining the assembly from initiating or conducting impeachment proceedings against him for the same reason and from recognizing or dealing with any APC member as deputy governor. Additionally, he sought an order restraining the Inspector-General of Police, the DSS, and the Bayelsa Attorney-General from withdrawing his security protection pending the determination of the motion on notice.
After Egwuaba moved the ex-parte motion on October 27, 2025, Justice Nwite directed the defendants to appear before the court and show cause why the interim orders should not be granted. The judge stated that granting the order would serve the interest of justice.
The defendants included the state's House of Assembly, its speaker, the Inspector-General of Police, the DSS Director General, the Bayelsa Attorney-General, the state's chief judge, and the clerk of the assembly.
Ewhrudjakpo reportedly collapsed in his office in Yenagoa and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead on December 11, 2025. He was laid to rest on January 30, 2026. Dr. Peter Pereotubo Akpe was sworn in as the new deputy governor on February 25, 2026, to fill the vacancy left by Ewhrudjakpo's death.
