Headline

PDP Expresses Lack of Confidence in FHC Judge, Seeks to Withdraw, Transfer Its Cases

Published

1 year ago

March 23, 2023

Eric

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Justice Inyang Ekwo of bias in his handling of cases involving it and has consequently asked the Chief Judge to transfer all their cases to another judge.

The accusation was contained in a letter written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and signed by the party’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, and National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.

Specifically, the PDP had demanded for the transfer of suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/123/2023; between Siminialayi Fubara and others vs PDP & 5 ORS; suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/112/2023- between Amb. Desmond vs PDP & 2 ORS; suit number: FHC/ASJ/CS/215/2023- between Send Sandy and anor vs PDP & 5 ORS; and all other cases involving the People’s Democratic Party.

The PDP in the application had said, “We are constrained to bring this application to your Lordship to transfer the above listed cases and ail other cases involving our Party from Hon. Justice I. E. Ekwo due to circumstances showing or demonstrating manifest bias/grave likelihood of bias on the part of Hon. Justice I. E. Ekwo against the party.

The PDP claimed that Justice Ekwo “is in the monotonous alternative habit of issuing injurious ex parte Orders against the Party”.

According to them, in the build up to the 2022 primary elections of the Party, the judge had issued “series of harmful ex parte Orders against the Party which eventually caused the Party huge electoral misfortune at the 2023 general elections”.

They mentioned suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/598/2022- between Hon. Monday Iyore Osagie & Ors Vs Peoples Democratic Party & Ors as one of the cases the judge had issued damaging ex parte Orders against the Party.

Ekwo was said to have issued ex parte order on May 6, 2022 restraining the lawful ad hoc delegates who emerged from the Ward congresses conducted by the National Leadership of the Party from participating in the Party’s Primary Elections in Edo State.

“This singular Order caused deep division and disaffection in the Party which eventually affected the fortune of the party in Edo State.

“Suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/123/2023- between Siminialayi Fubara and other vs PDP & 5 ORS. This is a case filed by all the Candidates of the Party in Rivers State praying that they should not be suspended from the Party.

“The case borders on the internal affairs of the Party over which the Court has no jurisdiction to entertain yet Justice I. E. Ekwo granted ex parte Order against the Party.

“Suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/215/2023- Between Sen. Prof. Sandy Onor & Anor VS PDP & 5 Ors. This is a case filed by the Cross River State Governorship and Deputy Governorship Candidates of the Party asking that they should remain members of the Party. The case borders on the internal affairs of the Party over which the Court has no jurisdiction to entertain yet Justice I. E. Ekwo granted ex parte Order against the Party”, the party stated.

In the case between Amb. Desmond Akawor VS PDP & 2 Ors, the PDP pointed out certain alleged “strange developments which leave no one in doubt that Justice I. E. Ekwo has predetermined the case”.

According to the petitioner, the Plaintiff filed its Originating Summons on January 25, 2023, while filed its counter affidavit and Notice of

preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the Court to hear and determine the matter on February 6.

“When the matter came up for hearing on the same February 6, 2023, the Judge refused to hear the party’s preliminary objection and instead made an order that parties should maintain status quo till the final determination of the matter in the face of the pending objection challenging his jurisdiction.

“On March 9, 2023, the Plaintiff filed motion for amendment of the Originating Summons alongside motion on notice. The reliefs introduced in the amendment being sought and the Motion on Notice is to restrain the Party and its National Officers from denying the Rivers State Legal Adviser of the Party the right to represent or appoint External Solicitors to represent the Party.

“While Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction, Motions for amendment and for interlocutory injunction are pending, Justice Ekwo on March 13, 2023 entertained another ex parte application seeking the very reliefs contained in the pending Motion on Notice and strangely made ex parte Order asking the Party to show cause why the reliefs should not be granted.

“In his haste to perpetrate injustice against the Party, Justice I. E. Ekwo in the ex parte Order of March 13, 2023 spelt the name of the Party as “la PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PD 21”. As if that is not enough mischief, Justice I. E. Ekwo equally announced himself as Counsel for the Applicant in the case thus: “And after hearing DR. J. Y. Musa, SAN with Hon. Justice I. E. Ekwo Douglas Moru, Esq) of Counsel for the Applicant”. Find attached copy of the ex parte order. This show clearly, that Justice Ekwo is not only bias but has also stooped from the sacred judicial office into handling the brief of the Plaintiff”.

The petitioners stated that apart from being unable to understand the motivation for the ceaseless ex parte Order being granted against the PDP by Justice Ekwo, the party has noted with displeasure the thread with which cases involving the Rivers, Cross Rivers and Edo State Chapters of the Party always find their way to Justice Ekwo.

Adding that in all of these cases, the outcome is always certain an ex parte Order and eventual judgment against the Party.

“Even when it is obvious that the Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain

the matter, Justice I. E. Ekwo always foist jurisdiction on himself in his voyage of injustice against the Party.

“Justice is rooted in confidence and that confidence is destroyed where right minded people go away with the impression that the Judge has a preconceived opinion or predisposition to decide the cause or an issue in a certain way which does not leave the mind perfectly open to conviction.

“The Peoples Democratic Party as a Political Party has lost in Justice I. E. Ekwo and we are convinced that he has a preconceived predisposition to always decide cases involving the Party with bias”.

They prayed the CJ to in view of the forgoing, transfer the above cases and all other cases involving the Party from Hon. I. E. Ekwo.

“We further request that cases involving the Party should no longer be assigned to him”, they prayed.

ThisDay

Headline

Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

Headline

Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”