Edo assembly crisis: Speaker withdraws suit against NASS, Clerk

The Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, Mr Francis Okiye, Thursday, withdrew the suit he instituted, seeking to stop the National Assembly from taking over the state assembly functions.

Okiye had on July 23 asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to restrain the Senate and the House of Representatives from going ahead with their plans pending the determination of the matter.

The plaintiffs had approached the court in an originating summons and a motion on notice for interlocutory injunction with suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/815/2019.

The respondents in the case were the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Mohammed Sani-Omolori, and NASS.

The matter, which was brought before Justice Nkeonye Maha, was adjourned until July 31 for hearing since the parties were yet to be served.

However, counsel to the plaintiffs,  Ola Olanipekun, told the court that after the defendants had been properly served as ordered by the court, the Senate on July 30, still went ahead to pass a resolution for the takeover of the assembly if the governor failed  to comply with its resolution.

The matter was, however, adjourned until Aug. 7 for hearing and on the said date the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, ordered all  parties to maintain status quo ante bellum (“the state existing before the war”), pending the determination of the suit.

Justice Taiwo, who said the order was intended to prevent parties from foisting on the court a fait accompli, had adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit until August 22 (Thursday).

When the hearing resumed Thursday, counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr Sylvanus Ugwu, told the judge that his clients had decided to withdraw the case.

Counsel to the 1st and 2nd respondents, Henrietta Emedem, though did not oppose the application, asked the plaintiffs to bear the cost.

The judge subsequently struck out the case.

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