Don’t hold rally at Lekki tollgate, court tells Labour Party, Obi supporters

Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Labour Party (LP) and its supporters not to hold a rally at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos.

The party supporters had planned to hold it’s Forward Ever’ rally on October 1, 2022, at Lekki tollgate.

The judge, while ruling on a motion for injunction filed by 10 plaintiffs, who are asking the court to, among others, restrain the LP, its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, its national chairman, Julius Abure and their loyalists from holding the rally at that location, also ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Police Commissioner to ensure compliance with the order.

Justice Osiagor held that the rally can pass through the venue to access Falomo Bridge and other venues at which the participants plan to meet.

Meanwhile, the court could not hear the preliminary objection filed by the defendants to stop the court from hearing the motion on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction and that the matter cannot be entertained because all parties to the suit were not served. Instead, the judge adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit to November 4, 2022.

In the suit, the plaintiffs stated that repeat or celebration of the “infamous” #EndSARS protest of 2020 under the political guise of “#Obidatti23 Forward Ever Rally” will cause a breakdown of peace and result in post-traumatic stress disorder for them and the public.