Court orders APC, police not to interfere in Edo Assembly affairs

The Federal High Court in Benin City yesterday ordered the
National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police
in Edo State, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, all defendants, their
servants and agents, not to interfere, disrupt or obstruct the
constitutional duties of members of the Edo House of Assembly.

In the court documents obtained yesterday, the presiding judge,
M. G. Umar, ordered: “That an interim order of injunction is hereby
granted restraining the defendants by themselves, their servants,
agents, officers or privies from interfering with, obstructing or
harassing, in any manner whatsoever, the plaintiffs in the
performance of their constitutional duties as the legislative arm
of the Edo State Government pending the hearing and determination
of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

“That an interim order of injunction is further granted
restraining the first defendant, his servants, agents, officers or
privies from further publishing in any newspaper or other media,
any inciting publications concerning the inauguration of the
seventh Assembly of the Edo State House Assembly and the election
of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker which took place on June 17, 2019
in the Edo State House of Assembly.

“That interim order of injunction is also granted restraining
the defendants by themselves, their servants, agents, officers or
privies from further committing any act aimed at disparaging the
integrity of the legislative arm of the Edo State Government and/or
destabilising the peace, order and good governance of Edo State in
general, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on
notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The orders followed prayers in an ex-parte motion of the
plaintiffs/applicants Alhaji Yahaya Omogbai, the Clerk of Edo State
House of Assembly and the Edo State Government, filed on June 28,
2019.

The case was adjourned to October 9, 2019.

With these orders, the legal coast is clear for the inaugurated
Edo State House of Assembly to continue its law-making
function.

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