In consideration of the planned #Obidatti23 March/Rally scheduled to hold on Oct.1, a Federal High Court in Lagos has on Wednesday ordered Labour Party (LP) and its supporters not to congregate at the Lekki Toll Gate.
Justice Daniel Osiagor made the order following an application brought by 10 persons seeking, among other issues, to restrict the party, its Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, Obi’s running mate, Yusuf Baba-Ahmed, along with their loyalists from holding the rally.
The plaintiffs include; Adedotun Ajulo, Salamatu Lewi, Hakeem Ijaduola, Ogunbona Akinpelu and Owolabi Oluwasegun, Mogbojuri Kayode, Wuyep Nadom, Dimimu Mabel, Kolawole Salami and Wale Lawrence.
The defendants in the suit include LP, Obi, Baba-Ahmed, Lagos State commissioner of police and Inspector-General of Police (I-G).
The others are the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lekki Concession Company Ltd., Attorney-General of Lagos State and Lagos State Governor.
Osiagor mentioned that while the rally participants could not meet at the Lekki Toll Gate, they could pass through it to access Falomo Bridge and other venues at which they had planned to converge.
The court directed the I-G and Lagos State commissioner of police to ensure compliance with the order.
Meanwhile, a preliminary objection filed by the defendants, seeking to stop the court from hearing the suit, on grounds of incompetence, could not be heard.
This is because all the parties in the suit were not served the relevant court processes.
The court will hear the substantive suit on Nov. 4.
In the suit, the plaintiffs claimed, among other things, that a repeat or celebration of the “infamous” EndSARS protest of 2020 under the political guise of “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally” would cause a breakdown of peace and result in post-traumatic stress disorder for them and members of the public.
They prayed the court for an order of interim injunction preventing the first to fourth defendants and their loyalists from conducting the rally tagged “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally” on Oct. 1 or any subsequent date, at the Lekki Toll Gate, until the determination of the suit.
They are also seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants and their loyalists from further planning and promoting the scheduled rally.
The plaintiffs also sought an order of interim injunction restraining the fifth to seventh defendants from allowing the first to fourth defendants, or their agents from carrying out the rally on Oct. 1 or any other date.
They equally pursued an order restraining the first to fourth defendants from making use of Lekki Toll Gate or any space under and within the control of the eighth defendant for carrying out the rally on Oct. 1 or any subsequent date.
