LAWYERS CONSPIRED AGAINST ME, CPC GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANT CRIES OUT
It was drama yesterday at the premises of a Federal High Court ,Lokoja when a governorship aspirant of Congress for Progressive Change, Alhaji Usman Idris Meyanga alleged that the lawyers boycotted his case in sympathy with a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief James Ocholi.
Meyanga who was almost moved to tears told journalists at the court premises that he was a victim of conspiracy as he had no one to rescue him from the hand of the powerful.
Meyanga who won the CPC governorship primary had filed a suit against Chief James Ocholi SAN at the Federal High Court, challenging him not to parade himself as the governorship candidate of the party since he overwhelmingly won the party primary.
But when the case came up for hearing yesterday at the Federal High Court ,Lokoja, none of the lawyers including his own counsel and Ocholi himself turned up for the case.
After waiting endlessly for the appearance of counsel to both parties, the trial judge, Justice Iyang Ekwo had to adjourn the case till another date.
Frustrated by the adjournment, Meyanga who was almost in tears told journalists at the court premises that he was sure the lawyers deliberately boycotted the case in order to frustrate him
In his words'' I feel terribly bad today, as you are all aware ,I was in court to seek for redress over my stolen mandate as the duly elected CPC governorship candidate in Kogi state, but as you all have seen, none of the lawyers including my own counsel turned up for the case and because of this ,the judge had to adjourn the case again
'I strongly feel that this is a conspiracy against me , the lawyers may have boycotted the case in sympathy with their senior colleagues in order to frustrate me, but I remain undeterred
'I believe you journalists should not keep quiet over this matter, I have spent all my resources , worked sleeplessly day and night to secure the votes of the delegates and I scored 15,000 votes to emerge as the CPC governorship, but only to wake up one day and see one big man who is not even a member of our party imposed as the governorship candidate .
'This is painful , what manner of democracy are we practising in this country ? the Nigerian media must rise up to the challenge, expose all those things that can create problems for a credible poll, please most of us who have no godfather in politics rely on you people '' he added almost in tears.
But reacting to Meyanga's allegation, a legal practictioner in the state who does not want his name in print dismissed his allegation, saying he was speaking out of ignorance
''How can somebody who said he wants to govern the state make this kind of hollow statement, I think he is already frustrated and out of mind to say lawyers boycotted the court because of his case at that material time, he may still have to be schooled about court proceedings'' he said
It will be recalled that the CPC in the state has been in deep crises following the outcome of the governorship party primary.
In the open ballot delegate primary,Meyanga had scored the highest votes of 150,000 to emerge as the governorship flag bearer of the party, but curiously, the name of Lamidi Itopa who emerged second in the primary was the one in INEC list as the governorship candidate of CPC in kogi state. More Surprises, James Ocholi who participated in the PDP party primary and scored one vote was the one Muhammad Buhari, the presidential candidate of CPC ironically recognized and gave the party's flag to, during his presidential campaign rally in the state.
This has further generated more crisis in the party as both Meyanga , Itopa and Ocholi are now claiming to be the party's governorship flag bearer.