The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered that Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Peremobowei Ebebi, impeached by the state House of Assembly should be reinstated pending the determination the matter. The Deputy Governor was removed by 18 of the 24 members of the House including the Speaker. The political situation in the state following Ebebi’s impeachment had been moving at a supersonic speed as Governor Timipre

Sylva engages in a war of attrition with his deputy.

Meanwhile, Werinipre Seibarugu, who until Wednesday was speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, was sworn-in yesterday, as deputy governor of the state by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Kate Abiri at a brief ceremony presided over by Governor Timipre Sylva in Yenagoa.

But, following the order by the Appeal Court, counsel to Ebebi, Dr. Alex Iziyon in his interpretation to the order said his client (Ebebi) was still the deputy governor until the case was determined, while counsel to the Bayelsa State Assembly, Mr. Sebastian Hon interpreted it to mean that nothing should further be done on the matter after the impeachment.

Hon. Ebebi had filed application for an interim injunction asking the court to stop the swearing in of any deputy governor pending the determination of the matter and further prayed for accelerated hearing.

Iziyon argued: "The interpretation there is that the matter be left as it was before the start of hostilities and that means that my client is still the deputy governor until the case is decided. Remember what happened in Bauchi".

In addition to the motion seeking for the his reinstatement, Ebebi also filed other interlocutory prayers which Hon asked the court to strike out as counsel on the other side did not oppose the application for accelerated hearing which makes interlocutory motions unnecessary.

The panel made up of three justices headed by Suleiman Galadima, however told Hon to wait till October 13, when the matter was adjourned, to see what becomes of the applications.

The three man panel further asked counsel to ensure that all the parties, some who were yet to be served with the processes on the matter should be served within seven days and that the reply by respondents should be filed within 30 days.

Galadima said by the ruling, anybody parading himself as the deputy governor, would be in contempt of a court order.

It will be recalled that Ebebi was impeached by the State House of Assembly on June 24. This led him to the State High Court to stop his removal.

But the court had declined jurisdiction on the matter and Ebebi then approached the Appeal Court.