OBI, 7 OTHERS SUED OVER NON-CONDUCT OF LG POLL IN ANAMBRA

By VINCENT UJUMADU
AWKA-A member of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Anambra State, Chief Emeka Onuorah, yesterday dragged Governor Peter Obi and seven others to court over the non-conduct of the controversial local government election in the state bringing to two court cases against the governor over same issue.

Others joined in the suit were the State House of Assembly, Speaker of the House, Accountant-General of the state, state Attorney General, chairman of the state/LG joint allocation committee and state Independent Electoral Commission, ANSIEC.

It will be recalled that a similar case filed by a human rights lawyer and an APGA member, Mr. Jezie Ekejiuba, is pending in an Awka High Court presided over by Justice Hope Ozor.

Onuorah, a former president of the Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, said he was among those that paid to contest the election for the chairman of Njikoka local government area, but the election was still to hold after many years.

In the suit, Onuorah is praying the court presided over by Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu at Ogidi in Idemili North local government area to decide whether it was proper for the state House of Assembly to enact another law that empowered the governor to be appointing caretaker committees for the 21 local government areas of the state, when there is a provision in the Nigerian constitution for the democratization of the third-tier of government.

When the suit came up yesterday, only the ANSIEC was represented by a counsel, Mr. Christian Agali, who also filed an 11-paragraph counter affidavit.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Nelson Uzoegb, wondered why other parties in the matter failed to appear in court even after they were properly served. The matter was adjourned to October 4, 2012.