By Gowon Emakpe, Abuja

Attempt to disqualify Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the September 19 governorship election in Edo state, may have suffered a setback as Justice Taiwo Oladipupo Taiwo has withdrawn from the trial.

He withdrew yesterday, following the second petition filed against him by one of the lawyers in the APC legal team,
Justice Taiwo of the Federal High Court Abuja was shocked on receipt of the second petition against him by a lawyer and regretted that his integrity has been maliciously called to question.

“The contents of the said petition are wicked and unsubstantiated. It is very disturbing that counsel would write this petition and even back it with an affidavit.

“It is not only Corona Virus that has become a pandemic, the spate at which politicians write petitions against judges should be declared a pandemic and should be checked.

“Unfortunately judges cannot respond to petitions against them through the media

“I do not for the record have any affiliation, personal or political with any of the parties in this case” the Judge lamented.

He told the crowd of lawyers and litigants in court that the petitioner from the Chamber of one of the senior lawyers present in court even went to the ridiculous extent of supporting the petition with affidavit.

Immediately after lawyers in the suit announced their appearances for proceedings to begin, Justice Taiwo cut them short and announced that he was no longer prepared to go ahead with the matter.

The Judge said it was a matter of regret that a legal practitioner would have the effrontery to write a malicious, scandalous and outright blackmail against a Judge adding that with the petition questioning his integrity, he can no longer proceed with the case.

Some of the senior lawyers in court tried to wash their hands clean and distanced themselves from the petition, but the Judge however, stood his ground not to go ahead with the case.

The Judge subsequently remitted the case to the Chief Judge for reassignment to another Judge.

The APC had in a separate petition two weeks ago raised strong opposition to the speedy hearing of the suit seeking disqualification of its governorship candidate from the election.

APC in the strongly worded petition against Justice Taiwo prayed the Chief Judge of the Court, Justice John Tsoho to withdraw the suit from Justice Taiwo.

In the petition dated August 20,/2020 by the National Secretary of the Caretaker Committee,  Senator. John Akpanudoedehe, the party had accused Justice Taiwo of moving faster in the hearing of suit against Ize-Iyamu by granting abridgment of time to plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs, led by Hon. Momoh Abdul-Razak had through their lawyer, Sir Friday Nwosu, sued the APC, Ize-Iyamu, INEC and Audu Ganiyu praying for an order of court to stop Ize-Iyamu’s participation in the election on account of alleged ineligibility.