The acting chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Enugu state chapter, Mr. Jude Okuli has called on the National Judicial Council, NJC to investigate the 3-man appeal court judges currently hearing his suit in the Enugu Division of Court of Appeal.
Addressing journalists yesterday at the premises of the Appeal Court in Enugu, Okuli, a respondent in an application filed by the former national chairman of the party, Mr. Victor Umeh said the action of the Justices led by Mr D. Galinge sparked off suspicion.
Okuli expressed shock that the court went ahead to hear the application and fixed Monday April 8 for ruling when he had not been served.
He described it as an abuse of judicial process and called on the NJC and the Acting President of the Court of Appeal to investigate the three judges.
“I want to let the entire world know what is happening in my case here at the Appeal Court, Enugu Division.
“On the 25th of March, somebody alerted me that hearing was going on in a case involving me and Victor Umeh.
I was shocked because prior to that date, I had not been served a letter by anybody.
“It is then so surprising that the judges led by Justice Galinge, who were hired and brought to Enugu, came here and commenced hearing on the matter without taking due notice of service.
“I rushed into the court and raised my hand; the judge ordered that I should be arrested; he later directed that I should be served there in the court. Later, I learnt that they had actually taken proceedings in the matter”, he said.
Continuing, Okuli said: “if they go ahead and give ruling here on Monday without giving me fair hearing, it will amount to travesty of justice.
“I am asking the NJC to do what it did in the case of Justice Archibong. I am asking that the Acting President of the Court of Appeal should look into this matter with eagle”.
He equally accused the judges of frustrating all the efforts he had made to obtain proceedings on the matter.
According to him: “I applied for the proceedings as soon as we came out from the court that day, but up till now, the deputy court registrar here has continued to frustrate me; he said the judges travelled back to Abuja, that means I should wait till the next 20 years”
In a letter dated 25th March, 2013, Okuli had written the court applying for certified true copy of the proceedings.
It could be re-called that an Enugu High Court presided over by the state’s Chief Judge, Innocent Umezulike sacked Umeh led APGA national leadership.
Unsatisfied with the judgement, Umeh approched the Appeal Court seeking a stay of execution as well as a review of the judgement.
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