Another judge has withdrawn
from a suit filed by the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, seeking an order
compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him a
certificate of return as the senator-elect for Imo West.
This is barely a week after
the first judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, of the Federal High Court in Abuja,
withdrew from the case
following allegations of
bias levelled against him by two parties to the suit.
It was reassigned to
Justice Okon Abang also of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Justice Abang was said to
have on April 11 fixed April 18 for hearing in the suit but on the date fixed
for the hearing, Justice Abang announced his decision to withdraw from the
suit.
His decision was based on
Okorocha’s letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Adamu
Abdu-Kafarati, asking for the transfer of the case to another judge.
The governor, in the
letter, sought the transfer of the case to another judge because opponents in
the case were jubiliating that Justice Abang would dismiss the case.
The judge, upon seeing the
letter, informed parties of his withdrawal from the suit.
THEWILL recalls that INEC
had refused to issue certificate of return to Okorocha on the basis that the
Returning Officer for the February 23 election, Prof Francis Ibeawuchi, said he
declared the outgoing governor winner of the senatorial election under duress.
Okorocha had subsequently
filed the suit, challenging INEC’s decision to withhold the certificate of
return due to him as the winner of the election.
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