The Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja on Wednesday refused to remain the impeachment proceedings activated by the Edo State Home of Meeting towards Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu.
Justice James Omotosho has dismissed an oral software by Shaibu's lawyer, Prof. Olawoyin Awoyale (SAN), asking the court docket to order events within the swimsuit named FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024 to keep up the established order .
In dismissing the prayer, the decide famous that “the Governor of Edo State and the Edo State Home of Meeting, who’re the primary actors within the case, haven’t been served with the unique summons of the swimsuit as required by the regulation.”
He then answered Shaibu's prayer to serve the court docket papers on Obaseki and the State Home of Representatives with substitutes.
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 Advanced in Benin.
The decide additionally ordered that every one court docket paperwork be served on the events within the case utilizing a registered courier firm.
Choose Omottoso postponed additional proceedings till April 15.
The Edo State Home of Meeting had on March 5, 2024, commenced impeachment proceedings towards Shaibu over allegations of leaking authorities secrets and techniques.
On Tuesday, the Meeting wrote to the state's chief justice to represent a seven-member panel to analyze the allegations towards Shaibu.
To cease the impeachment, Shaibu filed the criticism marked FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024 earlier than Choose Omottoso.
He’s praying for an injunction that can cease the defendants from shifting ahead together with his impeachment.
Nonetheless, on Wednesday, the decide refused for the second time to grant Shaibu a brief injunction to halt the impeachment drive.
The decide had beforehand rejected Shaibu's ex parte request for an interim injunction to halt the proceedings in a ruling on March 13 pending the ultimate ruling within the lawsuit.
“The ex parte request for a preliminary injunction, dated and filed on March 8, 2024, is hereby denied,” the decide dominated.
He was adjourned till Wednesday for listening to in one other ex parte movement filed by Shaibu looking for different service to the defendants as a consequence of his incapability to serve them.
The impeachment proceedings are believed to be the most recent growth within the rift between Shaibu and his director, Governor Godwin Obaseki. There was an uneasy calm between the deputy governor and his principal since final yr when Shaibu expressed his curiosity in becoming a member of this yr's governorship race in Edo.
