Fayemi’s bid to stop probe panel rejected

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti, has refused an application filed by former Governor Kayode Fayemi, seeking an interim order to restrain the Judicial Panel of Inquiry, set up by the Ekiti State Government, to probe his administration.
Fayemi, the incumbent Minister of Mines and Steel Development, was the state governor between 2010 and October 2014.

The interim application sought to restrain the commission from further sitting pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion for injunction.

Ruling on Tuesday, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye held that Fayemi’s request for an interim order could not be granted because of the notice of preliminary injunction filed by the defendants, which must first be determined before any order could be granted in the matter.

Justice Ogunmoye stated, “It therefore means that this court must decide first on the Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by the defendants because a challenge to the competence of a suit raises the issue of jurisdiction to hear and determine same, for the competence of a suit is an ingredient of jurisdiction.