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From Fred Itua, Abuja
Aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, have petitioned Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of National Judicial Council (NJC), Olukayode Ariwoola, over alleged refusal by a Federal High Court Judge in Umuahia to hear a pre-election matter.
Lawyer to the aggrieved members, Nnamdi U. Nwokocha Ahaaiwe, in the petition, said Justice Evelyn Anyadike, is delaying hearing of the case. Justice Anyadike gave the judgment on the 2022 Electoral Act in Umuahia, nullifying the exercise carried out by the National Assembly.
The case in question is between Ndudi Nwagbara and six others versus the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The petition said they had written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court since July, 27, 2022. They said a follow-up letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court dated the 15th day of August 2022 was also written
They said a “perusal of the aforesaid communication will show that the gravamen of our complaint is that contrary to the express and extant directives of both the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Practice Directions issued by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, our case was adjourned from the 21st day of July 2022 to the 30th day of September 2022 by the Federal High Court 1, Umuahia, which proceeded on vacation, contrary to the extant directives that all courts hearing pre-election matters should not go on vacation until they conclude the cases pending before them which ought to be heard on a day-to-day basis.”
