Justice James Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja has denied an ex-parte motion submitted by Edo State’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, which sought an interim order to halt the impeachment proceedings initiated by the state’s House of Assembly.
In his application, Shaibu requested the court to prohibit the third to fifth defendants from initiating any process, including conducting proceedings or establishing any panel for his investigation, until a motion on notice was heard.
He also sought a temporary injunction preventing the defendants, either directly or through their agents, from meddling with the subject of the Originating Summons that was part of the lawsuit aimed at his removal from the position of Deputy Governor of Edo State, pending the resolution of the motion on notice, among other requests.
Nonetheless, in a decision dated March 13 but reported on Monday, Justice James Omotosho rejected the Deputy Governor’s requests.
The ruling stated, “The Motion Expartee for an Interim Injunction, dated and filed on the 8th day of March 2024, is hereby denied.”
Furthermore, during Tuesday’s session, the judge scheduled the hearing of another ex-parte motion by the plaintiff, which calls for substituted service on the defendants due to difficulties in serving them, for Wednesday.
