Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has officially returned the case file concerning the suspended Edo State local government chairmen to the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment.
This development comes after a suit was filed by 18 suspended chairmen against Governor Monday Okpebholo and several entities, challenging the constitutionality of their removal.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the case, which was initially addressed on January 6 during Justice Nwite’s vacation period, sought an order of status quo ante bellum. The plaintiffs aimed to prevent Governor Okpebholo from implementing the Edo State House of Assembly’s resolution that had led to their suspension. Following the holiday court recess—officially concluded on January 7 after a break that started on December 16, 2024—the matter has now been remitted for reassignment.
NAN has indicated that the case may either be reassigned back to Justice Nwite or passed to another judge. During the January hearing, Justice Nwite mandated all parties involved to maintain the status quo until further notice. This direction came after counsel for the plaintiffs submitted an ex-parte motion requesting such an order. In his ruling, Justice Nwite emphasized the need for caution in granting reliefs, stating he would only allow an order to maintain current conditions pending the resolution of the substantive issues in the lawsuit.
The matter has been adjourned to January 20 for further proceedings concerning the substantive suit. The affected local government chairmen, alongside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), filed the motion ex-parte under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1952/V/2024. Dated December 20, 2024, and submitted on December 24, 2024, the motion names the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the Edo State House of Assembly itself, the Executive Governor of Edo State, and the Government of Edo State as defendants, along with the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Edo State, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Inspector-General of Police.
In their motion, the plaintiffs sought an interim injunction to compel the defendants to maintain the status quo as of December 15, 2024, and to prohibit the further implementation of the Assembly’s resolution regarding their suspension pending the court’s final determination of the case.
