A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has granted an ex parte order restraining the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, and the Edo State Government from mandating all the residents of the state to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The governor had announced that the state government will from September 1st begin restriction of residents who do not show their COVID-19 vaccination certificate from public places, including banks, worship centres and others.
The decision of the governor comes as the cases of coronavirus in the state continue to rise.
But counsel to the plaintiff, Echezona Etiaba (SAN), in his argument on the motions filed by Charles Osaretin against the Governor of Edo State and five others urged the court to direct parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Etiaba also asked the court to grant the leave to serve the respondents through substituted means by publishing the court processes on a national daily circulating in Nigeria.
The presiding judge, Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed, in his ruling, granted the ex parte orders and adjourned till the 10th of September, 2021, for hearing of the substantive motion.
