Stanley Uzoaru,Owerri
The Federal High Court, sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, has set aside July 5 to rule on the Suit on the Ward Congresses of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) brought before it by some aggrieved Ward chairmen of the party.
Plaintiffs of the Suit in Suit No FHC/OW/CS/69/2018 had prayed the Court to declare as null and void results claimed to have emanated from the APC Ward Congress in the state, insisting that the Congress never held at all.
The defendants in the Suit included the immediate past APC National Organising Secretary, Sen. Osita Izunaso, the State Chairman of the party, Chief Hilary Eke, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and others.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Lewis Allagoa, after hearing motions on the originating summons from councils to both plaintiffs and defendants, adjourned the matter to July 5 for judgment.
Counsel to some of the defendants and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kelvin Nwufor, in his Preliminary Objection, argued that Counsel to the Plaintiff did not seek the leave of the Court to serve those residing outside the jurisdiction of the Court with the Originating Summon and therefore prayed the Court to dismiss the Suit as it constitutes an abuse of the proceedings of the Court.
However, in his submission in support of the Originating Summon, Counsel to the Plaintiffs, Ben Osaka, argued that there were sufficient documented evidence before the Court to prove that the Ward Congresses did not hold across the state.