A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed May 4 for hearing in a fresh suit challenging moves by the 19 members of the All Progressives Congress in the Ekiti State House of Assembly to impeach the state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.
Justice Evoh Chukwu, while ruling on an ex parte application filed by the seven Peoples Democratic Party’s members in the Assembly, ordered that the processes be served on all the defendants in the suit.
A copy of the enrolled order showed that the judge made the orders on Thursday.
A similar suit filed by Fayose and others are pending before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the same Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Mohammed had fixed April 29 for further proceedings in the said suit.
The 19 APC members had already served the impeachment notice on the governor and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola.
Justice Chukwu on Thursday refused to set aside the impeachment process but ordered that parties should maintain status quo as of April 23.
He however ordered that the defendants should appear in court at the next hearing date to show cause why the order of interim injunction sought by the plaintiffs should not be granted.
The plaintiffs in the suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/3612015, are the seven PDP members in the House of Assembly Dele Olugbemi Joseph, Ajibola Samuel Oyedele, Israel Olowo, Hon. Alex Ade Ojo, Adeyinka Adeloye, Adunni Modupe Olayinka and Ayoka Fatunmbi.
The defendants are the Inspector General of Police, the embattled Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin and 21 others.
The orders granted by Chukwu on Thursday read as follow, “That leave is granted to the plaintiffs/ Applicant to issue and serve the originating summons and all other processes in this suit on the 2nd – 21 defendants in Ekiti State outside the jurisdiction of this honourable court.
“That leave is granted to the plaintiffs/applicants to serve the originating summons and all other processes in this suit on the 2nd-21st defendants by substituted means by advertising same in the newspaper.
“That the service of the Originating Summons and all other processes in this suit on the 2nd to 21st defendants are deemed as proper service.
“That on the application of plaintiffs/applicants’ counsel time is hereby abridged to seven (7) days within which the respondents are to file their processes i.e counter affidavit and written address if any from the date of the publication in the newspaper.
“It is hereby ordered that the status quo ante bellum as of 23 April, 2014 be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
“That respondents are to show cause why reliefs 4, 5, 6 and 7 on the face of the motion paper should not be granted.
“That this suit will be adjourned too May 4, 2015 for hearing of the motion on notice.”
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