By Ovie Okpare
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the nation capital, has granted accelerated hearing on a case seeking to restrain the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from submitting the name of the governorship candidate of the party in Delta State, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2023 general elections.
Olorogun David Edevbie, a former commissioner of finance in Delta, who came second in the PDP governorship primaries, is seeking amongst other things, an order of the court barring PDP from submitting Oborevwori’s name as the flagbearer of the party.
Edevbie is also asking the court to grant a restraining order on the Independent National Electoral Commission from accepting the name of Oborevwori as the governorship candidate of the PDP from Delta.
The case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/795/2022 listed the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly and governorship candidate of the PDP in Delta, Oborevwori Sheriff Francis Orohwedor, PDP and INEC as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents.
A copy of motion exparte dated and filed on the 3rd day of June, 2022, which was obtained by NIGER DELTA TODAY on Wednesday further sought a restraining order barring Oborevwori from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the party for the forthcoming elections.
Edevbie, who was a former Principal Secretary to late President Musa Yar’Adua, prayed the court to grant “An Order Of Interim Injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant, whether by itself, agents, officers or staff, howsoever described or called, from forwarding the name of the 1 Defendant to the 3rd Defendant as the duly nominated candidate of the 2nd Defendant at its primary election which held on 25th May, 2022, for the purpose of electing the 2nd Defendant’s candidate or flagbearer in the forthcoming Delta State Governorship election already fixed by the 3rd Defendant for 11 March, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed contemporaneously with the application.
“An Order Of Interim Injunction restraining the 3d Defendant, whether by itself, agents, officers or staff, howsoever described or called, from receiving, accepting, acting on, accord any recognition/credence or otherwise give effect to the name of the 1″ Defendant as the duly-nominated candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the primary election held on 25th May, 2022, for the purpose of electing the 2nd Defendant’s candidate or flagbearer in the forthcoming Delta State Governorship election already fixed by the 3rd Defendant for 11 March, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed contemporaneously with this application.
“An Order Of Interim Injunction restraining the 1 Defendant from parading or otherwise holding out himself as the duly nominated candidate of the 2nd Defendant in the primary election held on 25th May, 2022, for the purpose of electing the 2nd Defendant’s candidate or flagbearer in the forthcoming Delta State Governorship election already fixed by the 3 Defendant for 11th March, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed contemporaneously with this application.
“An Order for substituted service of all processes filed in this suit on the 1st Defendant: a. Either through the office of the National Chairman of the 2nd Defendant; OR b. By publication in one National Newspaper.
“An Order abridging the time within which the Defendants will file their responses to this case from 30 days to 7 days.”
The Presiding judge, Hon. Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo, upon reading of Edevbie’s Motion Exparte granted an accelerated hearing on the case.
Justice Taiwo further asked the parties in the case to abstain from doing anything that will affect the reliefs being sought by the applicant (Edevbie).
“That an order for substituted service is hereby granted to serve all processes filed in this suit on the 1st Defendant by publication in one National Newspaper.
“That an order of accelerating the hearing of this case is hereby granted.
“That with regards to prayers 1, 2, and 3 that the Defendants shall within 7 days of the service on them of the Court Order and other processes filed by the Plaintiff, file an affidavit to show cause why prayers 1, 2, and 3 shall not be granted.
“That the parties are not to do anything that will affect the reliefs being sought in the motion prayers until after consideration by the Court, of the affidavit to show cause ordered to be filed by the Defendants.
“That with regards to prayer 5 for abridgement of time within which the Defendants shall file their respective responses to the originating processes and any other applications time shall be 7 days from the date of publication in a National Newspapers which shall be Thisday Newspaper being a Newspaper circulating Nationwide”, Justice Taiwo ordered.
The Presiding judge, fixed the 22nd day of June, 2022, as the return date for all parties in the case.
