Out-of-court settlement: Judge Stands Down Obaseki’s Suit for 3 Hours

Matilda Omonaiye/

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt this morning granted the prayers of counsels for Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama; PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus; and Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, for a three-hour leave to amicably settle their differences outside the formal litigation processes.

Justice E. O. Obile, granted the prayers of Ogbeide-Ihama’s counsel, Ferdinand Orbih, on his submission to the Court that there have been moves by the parties in the suit to resolve the issues amicably.

Orbih prayed the Court to stand down the matter four hours to enable the parties to this suit tidy their terms of settlement.

Ogbeide-Ihama had earlier asked the Court to bar Obaseki from participating in the PDP governorship primary  in Edo State.

Counsel for the 1st defendant, Uche Secondus and six other defendants, Emmanuel Enoidem, did not oppose the prayer of the plaintiff to settle out of Court.

Counsel for the 2nd defendant, Higher King, also aligned himself to the position of the plaintiff’s counsel.

Also, Counsel for the 8th and 9th defendants, Alex Ejesiema and M. E. Ani also concurred with the position of their learned colleagues.

The judge however ordered that the parties in the suit take three hours to document their terms of settlement and inform the Court.

He thereafter adjourned the matter till 12.30pm for a contraction of hearing and possible decision on the matter.

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