A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned indefinitely a suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking an order to disqualify Godwin Obaseki as governor of Edo State.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling on Tuesday, adjourned the suit indefinitely on the grounds of an appeal filed by Mr Obaseki at the Court of Appeal.
Justice Mohammed ruled that since there was an interlocutory appeal pending at the appellate court, the trial court had to tarry a while since it had been notified of the pendency of the appeal.
“Where a lower court is aware of the existence of an application for stay, it will be wrong for the trial court to proceed to hear the suit the application is seeking to stay proceedings on.
“In the instant case, in addition to the interlocutory appeal, there is an application to stay proceedings.
“The suit is hereby adjourned sine die (indefinitely),” the judge said.
Obaseki approached the appellate court to challenge the refusal of the Federal High Court to remove some paragraphs in APC’s reply to a counter-affidavit filed by him opposing the suit against him.
The governor prayed the court to stay further proceedings in the substantive suit, pending the determination of the appeal.
The APC and William Edobor dragged Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission to court, seeking an order disqualifying Obaseki from contesting the Edo governorship election on the grounds that he forged his certificate.
