Anambra Governorship Primaries: PDP Accuses Judge Of Hiding Case File To Frustrate Their Appeal

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday alerted of plots by
Justice O.A Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court to derail the
course of justice by hiding the case file on the Senator Ugochukwu
UBA Vs PDP & Ors in a bid to frustrate an appeal against his
judgment on PDP Anambra State governorship primary election.

The PDP, therefore, charged Justice Nwabunike to immediately
release the case file, as the compromises in the case were already
known to the public, especially, the people of Anambra State.

The party, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary,
Kola Ologbondiyan, stressed that the only reason Justice Nwabunike
disappeared with the case file and refused to make copies of his
judgment available to the PDP and its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo,
was because he (Justice Nwabunike) was aware that his judgement
could not stand in any appeal.

The PDP recalled that on July 5, 2021, an aspirant, Senator
Ugochukwu Uba, who did not participate in the PDP primary,
instituted a suit against the PDP, its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo
and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), wherein
he challenged Ozigbo’s candidature for the November 6, 2021
governorship election.

Barely 24 hours after Senator Uba instituted the suit, Justice
Nwabunike curiously granted an exparte injunction, restraining INEC
from carrying out their constitutional duty and also abridged the
time within which the Defendants were legally obliged to file their
defence from 42 days to only 3 days in violation of Order 16 Rule
1(2) of the Anambra State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules
2019.

The PDP said despite the obvious hardship created by this
strange exparte order, the judge, on the day of hearing, being the
16th of July 2021, denied the defendants time to respond to the
processes served on them and proceeded with the hearing of the
Plaintiff’s case.

According to the PDP, “Regardless of the 180 days provided by
the constitution for the hearing and determination of pre-election
matters, the Honorable Court hastily concluded proceedings and
delivered judgment within 14 days.

“The most unfortunate part of this episode is that the judge,
after hastily delivering the Judgment, made away with the case file
and refused to release copies of his judgment to the defendants
despite their application in the open Court as well as the
officially written application to the judge.”

However, the PDP said to the chagrin of the Defendants, the
Court had gone ahead to issue copies of the Judgment to the
plaintiff, Senator Uba.

Moreover, it further stated that the trial judge has been making
every effort to frustrate the notices of appeal filed by the PDP
and her candidate, Valentine Ozigbo.

The PDP said it noted that the reason Nwabunike was employing
the legal shenanigans was to frustrate the Defendants’ appeal
against his judgment, which was intended to assist an individual,
who did not participate in the primary to distract the party ahead
of this crucial election.

For this reason, the PDP said, “We, therefore, call on the Chief
Judge of Anambra State, Honorable Justice O.M Anyachebelu and the
National Judicial Council (NJC) to quickly call Justice O.A
Nwabunike to order as there must be an end to judicial
rascality.

“Justice Nwabunike must be made to release the case file as well
as the copies of the judgment,because his continued refusal is
capable of pitting the Judiciary against the people of Anambra,
whose mandate, as being expressed in our candidate, Valentine
Ozigbo, is being undermined by Justice Nwabunike”, the PDP
stated.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday alerted of plots by
Justice O.A Nwabunike of the Anambra State High Court to derail the
course of justice by hiding the case file on the Senator Ugochukwu
UBA Vs PDP & Ors in a bid to frustrate an appeal against his
judgment on PDP Anambra State governorship primary election.

The PDP, therefore, charged Justice Nwabunike to immediately
release the case file, as the compromises in the case were already
known to the public, especially, the people of Anambra State.

The party, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary,
Kola Ologbondiyan, stressed that the only reason Justice Nwabunike
disappeared with the case file and refused to make copies of his
judgment available to the PDP and its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo,
was because he (Justice Nwabunike) was aware that his judgement
could not stand in any appeal.

The PDP recalled that on July 5, 2021, an aspirant, Senator
Ugochukwu Uba, who did not participate in the PDP primary,
instituted a suit against the PDP, its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo
and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), wherein
he challenged Ozigbo’s candidature for the November 6, 2021
governorship election.

Barely 24 hours after Senator Uba instituted the suit, Justice
Nwabunike curiously granted an exparte injunction, restraining INEC
from carrying out their constitutional duty and also abridged the
time within which the Defendants were legally obliged to file their
defence from 42 days to only 3 days in violation of Order 16 Rule
1(2) of the Anambra State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules
2019.

The PDP said despite the obvious hardship created by this
strange exparte order, the judge, on the day of hearing, being the
16th of July 2021, denied the defendants time to respond to the
processes served on them and proceeded with the hearing of the
Plaintiff’s case.

According to the PDP, “Regardless of the 180 days provided by
the constitution for the hearing and determination of pre-election
matters, the Honorable Court hastily concluded proceedings and
delivered judgment within 14 days.

“The most unfortunate part of this episode is that the judge,
after hastily delivering the Judgment, made away with the case file
and refused to release copies of his judgment to the defendants
despite their application in the open Court as well as the
officially written application to the judge.”

However, the PDP said to the chagrin of the Defendants, the
Court had gone ahead to issue copies of the Judgment to the
plaintiff, Senator Uba.

Moreover, it further stated that the trial judge has been making
every effort to frustrate the notices of appeal filed by the PDP
and her candidate, Valentine Ozigbo.

The PDP said it noted that the reason Nwabunike was employing
the legal shenanigans was to frustrate the Defendants’ appeal
against his judgment, which was intended to assist an individual,
who did not participate in the primary to distract the party ahead
of this crucial election.

For this reason, the PDP said, “We, therefore, call on the Chief
Judge of Anambra State, Honorable Justice O.M Anyachebelu and the
National Judicial Council (NJC) to quickly call Justice O.A
Nwabunike to order as there must be an end to judicial
rascality.

“Justice Nwabunike must be made to release the case file as well
as the copies of the judgment,because his continued refusal is
capable of pitting the Judiciary against the people of Anambra,
whose mandate, as being expressed in our candidate, Valentine
Ozigbo, is being undermined by Justice Nwabunike”, the PDP
stated.