The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has delayed accelerated hearing on a suit to stop Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state from contesting the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court presided over by Justice E.O. Obile stood down the matter for three hours following appeal by the lawyer to the plaintiff, Ferdinand Orbih that they should be given a brief period to explore an out of court settlement.
The judge had while ruling on a motion ex parte on Tuesday granted an order restraining Obaseki from participating in a primary election of the PDP following the determination of a suit filed by one of the aspirants, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.
The court also ordered accelerated hearing on the matter and reconvened on Wednesday.
But the lawyer to Ogbeida-Ihama told the court that there were moves by the parties to the suit to settle the matter outside the court and urged the judge to stand down the proceedings for four hours.
Obile, however, asked the parties to take three hours to document their terms of settlement and inform the court, which he said would resume by 12.30pm.
