Tony Udemba
The upcoming elections in the local government chapters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Lagos State, being organised by the national secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, seems to have hit the rocks as some aggrieved members have slammed the national body and its executives with an interlocutory court injunction secured from a Lagos High Court, restraining them from going ahead with the elections.
Daily Sun gathered that the court injunction, which was obtained from a Lagos High Court by Chiefs Mike Chidebelu, Amadi Ezenwa and Dr. Femi Ferguson Okoli (the claimants), recently, restrained the national body and its executives, Chiefs Nnia Nwodo, Hilary Okpara, Eric Ebeh, Iguchukwu Okoroma, Alex Ogbonna, Damian Okeke and Okeagu Ogada (the defendants), from dissolving or organising elections into elective positions of local government chapters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos State, pending determination of the legal action instituted by the claimants.
A statement of compliance, with pre-action protocol adduced to the court by claimants said: “We have complied with the directions of the pre-action protocol as set out in the preamble to the High Court rules.
“We have made attempts to have this matter settled out of court, with the defendants, through oral discussions and letter dated February 14, 2018, by making proposals for amicable resolutions of the issues between the parties. All attempts at amicable resolutions have been rebuffed by the defendants”.
A source at the secretariat, who declined to be named, said when the court documents were served on the national body, none of the executives were on seat except an administrative secretary who refused to acknowledge the court papers and insisted that he was under instruction not to receive such documents
It was alleged that based on the advice of the administrative secretary, staff of Enugu High Court who brought the notice of the court injunction pasted it at the gates, with pictorial evidence.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Dr. Femi Ferguson Okoli, a member of Ohaneze Lagos and one of the claimants, confirmed the court injunction, and insisted that the national body has no constitutional powers to dissolve the executives or organize elections in the Lagos chapter, even as he insisted that the constitution of Ohanaeze Lagos gives it the sole responsibility to organize elections in the state and local government chapters.
In his reaction, Barrister Momah, National Legal Adviser, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, said although he heard a rumour about the court action, he was yet to be briefed by the national secretariat, while the General Secretary, Barrister Uche, said he was not aware of the development.