A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the Labour Party and its supporters not to converge at the Lekki Toll Gate for its “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally” scheduled to hold on October 1, 2022, though they can pass through the place.
Justice Daniel Osiagor, in addition, directed the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; and the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Abiodun Alabi, to ensure compliance with the order.
The party has, however, faulted the judgment, blaming the opposition for its predicament.
Justice Osiagor made the order on Wednesday while ruling on a motion for injunction brought by 10 plaintiffs who are asking the court to, among others, restrain the LP, its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, his vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, one Julius Abure and their loyalists from holding the rally.
The court further held that Obi’s supporters must not stop at the Lekki Toll Gate but they could pass through the venue to access Falomo Bridge and other areas that could lead to the venue of the rally.
A preliminary objection filed by the defendants seeking to stop the court from hearing the motion because it lacked jurisdiction could, however, not be heard as all parties to the suit had not been served.
The court adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit to November 4, 2022.
LP blames opposition
Reacting to the court ruling, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, accused the opposition of sponsoring the legal case to unsettle their movement.
Arabambi told The PUNCH that even the court found nothing wrong with the EndSARS protest which it said was later hijacked.
He said, “One clear thing is that the suit is the work of the opposition party as they are worried and most of the plaintiffs in this present suit are lawyers that belong to a group called the Lawyers Network for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The court stated categorically as well that by the judicial report on the EndSARS protest, the EndSARS protest was largely peaceful until it was hijacked and that the counsel for the plaintiffs cannot in any way link the first to the fourth respondent to EndSARS by their pleadings.”
