JUSTICE NWANCHO RECUSES SELF FROM EBONYI PDP LEADERSHIP SUIT

Reporter : AMECHI ODO

Justice Vincent Nwanchor of the Ebonyi State High Court in Abakaliki has recused himself from the suit filed by Chief Onyekachi Nwaebonyi challenging the dissolution of the State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by its National Working Committee.

The withdrawal was the third time in a row that a Presiding Judge was recusing himself from the case after Justice Elvis Ngene and the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Anslem Nwaigwe, did the same some weeks ago when the matter was handed over to them.

The suit was slated for ruling on Wednesday January 18, 2021 but was deferred till 20th of January following an application by Chief Mudi Erenede, who is the counsel to the Defendants, that they had filed an appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the State High court to entertain the matter.

However, at the resumed sitting, Chief Erenede tendered another application asking the Presiding Judge, Justice Nwanchor to recuse himself on grounds that he was a brother to the Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, whom he claimed was an interested party in the suit.

He also submitted that the Judge failed to protect him in the last adjourned date when Counsel to the Plaintiff, Chief Roy Nwaeze, threatened to slap him.

In a counter motion, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Chief Nweze, urged the court to dismiss the application as the claim of brotherhood with the Deputy Governor would not taint his judgement.

Chief Nweze also averred that there was no factual evidence to support the claim that he threatened to slap Counsel to the defendants.

After listening to the arguments, Justice Nwanchor ruled that he could not deny the fact that he was of the same community with the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Igwe, and therefore recused himself to protect the integrity of the court.

He however dismissed claims that he did not protect Counsel to the defendants, noting that court’s intervention during a face-off between the two counsels was corroborated by other legal professionals present at the court.

In an interview, Counsel to the defendants, Chief Erenede, commended the Judge for doing the needful in line with the rule of law.

However, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Chief Nwaeze said nothing had gone wrong as the substantive matter must be heard and judgement obtained from it no matter the delay tactics being deployed by the defendants.

It could be recalled that the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party had, sequel to the defection of Governor David Umahi to the All Progressives Congress (APC), dissolved the State Executive Committee of PDP and appointed a Caretaker Committee led by Chief Fred Udeogu.

Not comfortable with the decision of the party, Chief Nwebonyi sued the National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus and the Caretaker Committee asking the court to declare the dissolution illegal and for the Caretaker Committee to stop parading itself.