By Toby Chuks
The Federal High Court in Umuahia, the Abia State capital under Justice Evelyn Anyadike has set November 9, 2023 to hear the case on power rotation filed by by Ndubisi Etugo Ogah. Mr Ogah in a case no FHC/UM/CS/63/2022 is praying the court to disqualify the Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Professor Uche Ikonne from participating in 2023 governorship election in Abia State on the ground that an Aggrement on Power Rotation known as Abia Charter of Equity (ACE) signed by the founding fathers of Abia State shows that it is not the turn of Abia Central Senatorial zone where Ikonne comes from to produce the governor of the State in 2023 but the turn of Abia North Senatorial zone.
Listed as defendants to the case which is currently generating tension in PDP camp in Abia are: the PDP, the national chairman of PDP Senator Iyorchia Ayu, zonal Chairman of PDP Southeast zone Chief Alih Odefa, Abia State Chairman of PDP, Chief Asiforo Okere, Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Okezie Ikpeazu and governorship candidate of PDP for 2023 election in Abia State, Professor Uche Ikonne. Other are current Acting Chairman of Board of Trustees of the PDP Senator Adolphus Nwagbara Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe representing Abia North Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, former chairman of NDDC chief Onyema Ugochukwu.
Responding when Justice Anyadike mentioned the case when it came up last Thursday, Counsel to the plantif Barr PC Dike told the court that the case is riped for immediate hearing as all the respondents to the case have been duly served and there is no objection from the respondents because he was not served any motion on notice within the time stipulated time.frame “What I am saying my Lord is that this honorable court should hear this case today because all the respondents have been duly served. This is pre election matter and we don’t have time” Dike added.
In response Justice Anyadike asked the Counsel to the respondents Barr Mrs Nwosu whether she served the plantif any motion on notice against the hearing of the case. In response Barr Nwosu told the court that she filed motion for time extension and affidavit and equally served the plantif but Justice Anyadike did not accept Nwosu’s motion for time extension on the ground that it was filed out of time and besides it did not see it in the case file before the court. The Honorable Justice however told the parties to go home and come back for the hearing of the case on November 9, 2023.
