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The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has summoned the Executive Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Council, Hon. Alice Tangi Allen, to appear before it on Tuesday despite a subsisting court order directing parties to maintain the status quo.
The development has fuelled speculation that the Assembly may be considering moves to remove the council chairman from office.
Justice D.E. Adokeme of the Bayelsa State High Court, sitting as a vacation judge in Yenagoa, had on August 10 granted an interim order directing all parties in the suit filed by Allen to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of a motion on notice.
Allen had instituted the suit against the Bayelsa State Government, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Sagbama Legislative Council, its leader and the state's Attorney-General, among others.
A source familiar with the matter alleged that all the defendants had been served with the court processes, including the interim order, but that the Assembly proceeded with the summons.
The substantive matter is scheduled for hearing on August 20, 2026.
The allegations against the council chairman reportedly include spending council funds without due approval, failing to present the council's annual budget and allegedly using council funds to finance the activities of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Allen has, however, remained a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which she was elected, despite her political association with former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, who leads the NDC.
Her lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), wrote to the House of Assembly, urging it to suspend the invitation until the court determines the pending applications.
According to the senior advocate, his client was not refusing to honour the invitation because the Assembly lacked the constitutional power to summon her, but because appearing before lawmakers while the matter is before the court could amount to disobedience of a valid court order.
In the letter, Numa urged the Assembly to stay further action on the matter pending the hearing fixed for August 20, adding that Allen would honour any invitation after the court had ruled on the pending applications.
He also stated that the council chairman remains willing to appear before the Assembly on issues unrelated to the subject matter of the ongoing litigation.
Reports indicate that Allen is currently outside Bayelsa State receiving medical treatment.
