From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The crisis threatening the election of a new executive for Ohanaeze Ndigbo slated for January 10 has taken a new turn, with the Secretary-General of the Organization, Chief Uche Okwukwu, filing a suit at an Abia State High Court, Umuahia.
The plaintiff is praying the court to declare the Imeobi meeting convened on December 20, 2020, at the Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu by the President General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, illegal, null and void.
In the suit between Chief Uche Okwukwu, the plaintiff, and Chief John Nnia Nwodo, the defendant, Okwukwu asked the court to set aside any decision taken by Nwodo and members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo at the Imeobi meeting of December 20, 2020, as being nugatory, null and void and of no effect having not been summoned by him in accordance with the provisions of Article11 of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Constitution.
Other reliefs sought by the plaintiff include an order setting aside the purported electoral committee set up by the defendant without due process and an order validating the Imeobi meeting held on December 31, 2020, in Owerri and properly summoned by the plaintiff in accordance with the Constitution and all decisions reached therein as valid, authentic and subsisting.
It also asked the court to declare the electoral committee headed by Prince Richard Ozobu as the authentic one as well as the award of the sum of N50,000,000, as general damages.
‘An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, privies and servants from summoning any meeting of the national executive committee, Imeobi and national General Assembly or any other meeting at all without the knowledge of the plaintiff pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit,’ it said.