2023 Enugu governorship: CSO fears judicial process abuse, seeks intervention

A Civil Society Organisation, Make A Difference, MADI, has expressed fears of the likely abuse of the judicial process in the case between the Deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, George Ogara and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP governorship candidate, Peter Mbah.

Executive Director of MADI, Lemmy Ughegbe, flanked by a Director in the organisation, Babawale Okunola stated this at a press conference in Abuja.

He alleged judicial processes to defame the person of Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party while calling on the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to investigate the All Progressives Congress Deputy Governorship candidate.

It is recalled that the Enugu PDP governorship candidate had in January, filed a petition against Ogara and another legal practitioner, Ejike Obumneme for filing and promoting a suit, that they allegedly know or reasonably ought to know is false and intended to mislead the court and maliciously injure his person.

The petition was against the backdrop of a lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2257/2022 filed by Obumneme on behalf of Felix Ugwu and others seeking Mbah’s disqualification from the 2023 governorship election.

They alleged that the PDP governorship candidate made a plea bargain and a plea of guilty also entered for him in Charge No. FHC/L/09C/2007 by the Federal High Court on July 7, 2015, insisting that he is an ex-convict.

Reacting to questions, the CSO boss slammed some judicial officers for exhibiting alegged infidelity leading to controversial judgements that tend to undermine the nation’s electoral process and democracy.

This, he said, was exemplified by the suits filed for some persons by one Ejike Obumneme Esq, a legal practitioner and allegedly masterminded by the Deputy Governorship candidate of APC in Enugu State, George Ogara.

He said: “In this instance, Ejike Obumneme filed a suit in the Federal High Court Abuja on behalf of Felix Ugwu & Others in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2257/2022 seeking a declaration that by the express provisions of Section 182(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Dr. Peter Mbah, is ineligible to contest election to the office of Governor of Enugu State until after a period of ten years from 7th day of July 2015.

MADI Director advised the legal body to carry out a thorough investigation as there may be a gross breach of professional rules with regard to the supply of false information to mislead the Court in the matter.