The Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja has refused to remain the alleged impeachment proceedings in opposition to the incumbent Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr Phillip Shaibu, by the State Home of Meeting.
Throughout Wednesday's proceedings, his request for upkeep of established order by the Home of Representatives and others concerned within the impeachment saga was rejected by Justice James Kolawole Omotoso.
Shaibu, by means of his lawyer, Professor Olawoyin Awoyale, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had orally requested {that a} established order be maintained by the events pending the listening to and willpower of his request on discover.
Whereas attempting to persuade the court docket to go the order, the senior lawyer cited some authority in assist of the applying.
In response, Justice Omotoso dominated that the cited authority was not relevant in Shaibu's case as a result of the Governor of Edo State and the Edo State Home of Meeting, who’re the important thing actors within the impeachment bid, didn’t serve the unique summons of the lawsuit. legally required.
The choose, nonetheless, granted the request that the Governor of Edo State and the State Home of Meeting obtain the unique summons in a substitute method.
Notably, Justice Omotoso ordered that the court docket proceedings be taped on the entry gate of the Edo State Authorities Home and the gate of the State Home of Meeting Complicated, each in Benin.
Moreover, the choose additionally directed that every one court docket paperwork should be served on the events within the case utilizing a registered courier firm.
Decide Omottoso then set April 15 for listening to of the case.
The deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu, who was within the room throughout Wednesday's proceedings, declined to talk to journalists.
Within the movement marked FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024, the Authorities of Edo State, the Governor of Edo State, the Home of Representatives of Edo State, the Speaker of the Home of Representatives of Edo State, the Clerk of the Meeting, the Chief Justice of Edo State, Inspector Normal of Police IGP and Director Normal of the Ministry of State Providers DSS had been listed as the primary to eighth defendants.
Shaibu sought within the swimsuit for an order of the court docket restraining the third to fifth defendants from initiating proceedings by issuing a discover of indictment, initiating proceedings or organising an investigative panel for his removing pending the processing of a request for cancellation. .
He additionally sought an interim injunction restraining the defendants, both by themselves or their brokers, from interfering with the subject material of the unique summons filed within the swimsuit or by taking antagonistic motion in in reference to any try or course of aimed toward its removing. from workplace as Deputy Governor of Edo State pending the listening to of the discover movement.
Different measures sought embody: “An injunction restraining the primary to eighth defendants, whether or not they themselves, their brokers, insiders, servants, officers, representatives and/or some other particular person or authority appearing by means of them acts, prevents the claimant, whether or not by menace of removing from workplace or antagonistic actions that will stop the claimant from discharging his official duties and discharge his obligations as Deputy Governor of Edo State, together with attending conferences, features and different features of the State Government Council.
“A preliminary injunction directing the defendants herein collectively, whether or not by themselves, their brokers, insiders, servants, officers, representatives or some other particular person or authority appearing by means of them, to take care of the established order ante bellum present previous to the issuance of the purported discover or request to start the removing of the plaintiff from workplace pending the listening to and last willpower of the request for discover.”