Justice James Kolawole Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, permission to include the Speaker of the state assembly in his lawsuit challenging his imprisonment.
The judge also allowed Shaibu to add his successor as a defendant in the case.
In his ruling on Wednesday on a motion filled by Shaibu, the judge concurred with Shaibu’s counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye SAN, that both the Speaker and the new Deputy Governor are essential parties to the suit.
The judge held that under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, the Speaker’s name is prominently involved in the impeachment process, and therefore, the Speaker must be brought to court for any order to be legally binding on them.
Justice Omotoso dismissed the objections raised by the Speaker and the Deputy Governor against the motion on notice, deeming them frivolous and without merit.
He subsequently invoked Order 17 Rule 1 of the Federal High Court and ordered that the Speaker and the Deputy Governor be included in the suit.
The court also permitted the former Deputy Governor to amend his originating summons to include the Speaker and the Deputy Governor as the 9th and 10th defendants in the case.
Meanwhile, the hearing for the substantive suit has been scheduled for June 3, following the judge’s order for an accelerated hearing.