Court hears suit to stop Labour Party rally

Nine lawyers and one Wale Lawrence on Thursday asked a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State to stop the Labour Party, its candidates and supporters from conducting a rally tagged ‘#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally’ on October 1, 2022, or any other date in Lagos State.

The 10 plaintiffs specifically urged the court to restrain the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, his running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, one Julius Abure, and their loyalists from holding the rally until the hearing and determination of their motion on notice of September 12, 2022.

The nine lawyers are Adedotun Ajulo, Salamatu Lewi, Hakeem Ijaduola, Ogunbona Akinpelu, Owolabi Oluwasegun, Mogbojuri Kayode, Wuyep Nadom, Dimimu Mabel and Kolawole Salami.

The first to 10th defendants in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1729/2022 are Obi, LP, Baba-Ahmed, Abure, the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State command, Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lekki Concession Company Limited, Attorney-General of Lagos State and the Governor of Lagos State.

In their ex parte motion filed before Justice Daniel Osiagor through their counsel, Dada Awosika (SAN), they prayed the court for four reliefs.

One of the reliefs read, “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants; their associates and loyalists from conducting the scheduled EndSARS rally tagged as the ‘#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally’ on October 1, 2022, or any other subsequent date, at the Lekki toll gate until the hearing and determination of the Motion-On-Notice dated September 12, 2022.”

Justice Osiagor directed the plaintiffs to put all the defendants on notice.

He adjourned the hearing of the substantive motion till September 23, 2022.

The plaintiffs, by their originating summons filed on the 9 of September, 2022 listed 12 grounds upon which the judge should grant their reliefs.