Chairman of the Port Harcourt branch of the Appeal Court, Sylvester Adaka was beaten to pulp for leading members of the NBA to disrupt proceedings in the Appellate court.
Adaka was beaten “black and blue” by supposedly anxious litigants whose case was being heard.
DAILY POST reports that the Appeal Panel led by Justice A.A Gumel was in session in the stay of execution application filed by the All Progressives Congress, in Rivers state.
Sacked Governorship candidate of the APC, Tonye Cole and other candidates of the party for the general elections were already seated for the hearing of the matter which had commenced before the NBA members invaded the court.
The three-man panel led by Justice Gumel were thrown into panic.
Reacting to the invasion, Justice Gumel condemned the court invasion by the NBA protesters saying, “The action of NBA is a complete desecration of the court. The NBA would have formally communicated their position to the court before carrying out their protest.
“There are ethics in this profession. The Bar is mandated by any means whatsoever to respect the Bench. Unfortunately, what we have seen is the opposite. The court is a sacred place”.
On his part, Chairman of the PortHarcourt branch of the NBA , Sylvester Adaka said their protest as the Court of Appeal was peaceful adding that it was not politically motivated.
He held that the protest was aimed at protecting the rule of law just as he clarified that the NBA contacted the Chief Registrar of the Appeal Court on the protest.
However, after the incident the court went ahead to hear the Appeal of the APC against the ruling of Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court restraining INEC from including the APC in the 2019 elections in Rivers state which was later adjourned till January 31st, 2019.
Adjourning the matter, Justice Gumel Said the parties failed to serve the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC who is the main factor in the matter.
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