By Anayo Okoli
UMUAHIA—AS a fallout of the just concluded political party primaries, the court-backed faction of APC in Abia State led by Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe, has petitioned the Abia State Judicial Service Commission, ASJSC, over illegal removal of their case file from an Isiala Ngwa Court without the knowledge of the presiding judge and their lawyers.
The party described the action as “criminal obstruction of justice and muzzling and ridiculing of the judiciary”, and accused the registrar of the High Court of Isiala Ngwa, Mr. E. E. Nwogwugwu and the chief registrar of Abia State Judiciary, Benson Anya as the brains behind the illegal removal of the case file.
The party in a petition dated October 10, 2018 and addressed to the chairman of the State Judicial Service Commission, alleged that the two judicial officers were induced by a prominent member of the other faction to illegally remove the file.
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It will be recalled that the party conducted parallel governorship and other elective primaries in the state. The Ndukwe faction backed by Order of Court, elected High Chief Ikechi Emenike who has chosen a Russian trained doctor from Ndoki in Ukwa East, Dr. Tom Otuka as his running mate.
The other faction led by Hon. Donatus Nwankpa elected Dr. Uche Ogah its governorship candidate and he has picked former Speaker of Abia State, Hon. Martins Azubuike as his deputy.
In the petition signed by the factional chairman and secretary, Emmanuel Ndukwe and Chidi Avaja respectively, as well as one of the litigants in the missing case file, Engr. Chris Okpechi, they alleged that the aim of illegally removing the file was “to pervert the course of justice in our suit
“We write to strongly protest the unilateral, fraudulent removal of the case file of our suit no: HIN/4/2018 [Fabian Okonkwo and others vs All Progressives Congress and 5 others] before His Lordship HON. Justice C. U. Okoroafor without due notification, consent and approval of the presiding Judge.
“This illegal action, we humbly submit, is tantamount to criminal obstruction of justice and muzzling and ridiculing of the judiciary with the aim of perverting the course of justice in our suit.”
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/abia-apc-faction-petitions-state-judicial-commission-over-missing-case-file/
