Judges in the Ebonyi state judiciary are refusing to sit and rule over a suit involving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the third judge, Vincent Nwanchor of the State High Court who was assigned the case to also recused himself.
Nwachor on Wednesday recused himself from the suit filed by the dissolved State Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging its dissolution by the party’s national leadership.
Before Nwachor recused himself, Elvis Ngene and the state Chief Judge, Justice Anslem Nwigwe, had also recused themselves from hearing the matter.
The suit was filed by the Onyekachi Nwaebonyi-led state executive challenging the dissolution of the excos by the national leadership of the party.
The national leadership of the party dissolved the exco following Governor David Umahi’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
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Nwachor was to rule on an interlocutory application filed by the plaintiff on January 18. However, he adjourned the to January 20 following an application by counsel to the defendants, Mudi Erenede, who had filed an appeal on the jurisdiction of the State High court to entertain the matter.
Mr Erenede had upon resumption of hearing filed another application, asking the judge to recuse himself on grounds that he is a brother to the Deputy Governor of the state, Kelechi Igwe, who is an interested party in the suit.
The lawyer claimed that the judge failed to protect him when counsel to Mr Nwaebonyi threatened to slap him.
Mr Nwanchor, after listening to the application ruled that he could not deny the fact that he is of the same community as the deputy governor and therefore recused himself in order to protect the integrity of the court.
He dismissed claims that he did not protect counsel to the defendants, adding that court’s intervention during the face-off between the two counsels was corroborated by other lawyers who were present in the court.
