Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday rejected the plea to grant an ex-parte motion filed by the deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, seeking an interim order to stop the impeachment process by the state’s House of Assembly.
In the suit, Shaibu sought an order of the court restricting the third to fifth defendants from commencing any process by holding proceedings or setting up any panel of investigation for his removal, pending the hearing of a motion on notice.
He also sought an interim injunction restraining the defendants, whether by themselves or their agents, from interfering with the subject matter of the Originating Summons filed in the suit targeted at his removal from office as the deputy governor of Edo State pending the hearing of the motion on notice among other reliefs.
However, in the ruling dated March 13, but cited on Monday, the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, declined the deputy governor’s prayers.
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It read, “That the Motion Expartee for Interim Injunction dated and filed 8th day of March 2024 is hereby refused.”
Meanwhile, at the proceedings on Tuesday, the judge fixed Wednesday for hearing in another motion ex-parte brought by the plaintiff seeking substituted service on the defendants due to his inability to serve them.
Recall that Shaibu had earlier boasted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be roundly defeated without him, just as he described the primaries that produced Asue Ighodalo as the candidate of the party as an Owambe party and laughable.
According to him, the event even though was attended by the party’s heavy weight where people wore aso-ebi, was not an issue against the backdrop that delegates determine primaries and not party big wigs.