…orders continuation of High Court proceedings
The Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin, has refused to stay the order of an Edo State High Court restraining Col. David Imuse (rtd), from parading himself as Chairman of the Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court held that the proceedings in the High Court, including the contempt of court proceeding against Imuse and two others, should continue.
Recall that in an attempt to factionalise the Edo State Chapter of the APC, Col. Imuse started referring to himself as the state chairman of the APC with the backing of members of the proscribed Edo Peoples Movement (EPM), following which a suit for Col. Imuse to be restrained from parading himself or be addressed as the state chairman of the party was filed.
After the court granted an order restraining him, Col. Imuse was paraded as the state chairman of the APC by the suspended National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole during a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari, by state chairmen of the APC. He was also so addressed by the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and the suspended Edo State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Azebamwam in subsequent communications.
With the disregard for court orders, Anselm Ojezua, approached the court for a contempt charge against Col. Imuse, Azebamwan and Issa-Onilu before Hon. Justice V. O. A. Oviawe.
The Court of Appeal on Friday, March 13, 2020, has now ruled that the contempt proceedings continue, while upholding the restraining order against Col. Imuse and his fellow Contemnors.
