PARTY PRIMARIES: CHIME PETITIONS NJC OVER JUDGE'S CONDUCT

ENUGU-Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has petitioned chairman of the National Judicial Council, NJC, over the conduct of Justice Glays K. Olotu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The judge is handling a pre-election suit instituted by one of the Peoples Democratic Party's governorship aspirants, Chief Alexander Obiechina.

The plaintiff had gone to court seeking the nullification of the primary election of January 12, 2011, which produced Chime as PDP's candidate for the governorship poll which he won during the April 26, 2011 election.

In his petition dated April 28, 2011, the governor accused the presiding judge of several judicial breaches, all geared towards stopping him from participating in the said election.

The matter comes up tomorrow in Abuja .
Governor Chime also expressed grave concern over the breaches and Justice Olotu's widely-known close ties with the Nwodo family, with whom he had been engaged in bitter political battles.

Governor Chime highlighted the particulars of the breach and the brazen denial of fair hearing to include an ex parte order made by Justice Olotu abridging the time within which he was to respond to the suit from the 30 days allowed by Order 7 Rule 1 (1) of the Federal High Court (civil procedure) Rules to seven days.