The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out the suit filed by Mr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama stopping Governor Godwin Obaseki from participating in tomorrow’s governorship primary elections of the People s Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State.
One of the counsels for the plaintiff, D. C. Denwigwe, (SAN) had upon court resumption of hearing in an oral application informed the court that the parties in the suit have resolved their differences.
Denwigwe told that court that their clients have settled and have asked them their counsels to withdraw the case.
He expressed apologies to the court for the inconvenience and urged it to strike out the matter based on the oral prayers.
Emmanuel Enoidem, Counsel for the 1st defendant, Uche Secondus and 3rd to the 7th defendant, counsel for the 2nd defendant, Higher King and Counsel for the 8th and 9th defendants, Alex Ejesiema, also concurred to the motion.
However, the presiding Judge, Justice E. O. Obile, struck out the matter follows the submission of the counsels.
Obile in his ruling said: “I commend the council and parties for settling out of court as it is the proper thing to do.”
Speaking after the court proceedings, Alex Ejesiema, noted that the ruling of the court meant that Obaseki could now contest the primary election of the party.
He noted that the PDP was ready to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter before it was struck out, adding that it was an internal party affair.
It would be recalled that the Mr. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, who had refused to step down for the Obaseki had challenged his (Obaseki’s) legality to contest the election, and had obtained an order stopping the Governor from participating.
When the court resumed commencing an accelerated hearing on the matter, it rather had stood down the hearing for three hours following an oral application by counsel for the plaintiff, Ferdinand Orbih, praying the court to grant the parties four hours to concluded it meeting on the reconciliatory move by the leaders of the party.
Orbih informed the court that the process of out of court settlement had commenced within the party, urging the court for a time.
However, Hon Justice E.O Obile, had granted the prayers of the counsel for Ogbeide-Ihama, Orbih, to enable the parties to resolve their terms of the settlement.
