Ongoing attempts by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Governor Nyesom Wike to unseat the House of Representatives Member for the Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency, in Rivers State, Hon. Ephraim Nwuzi, has suffered a major setback.
A Federal High Court presided by Hon. Justice Omotosho on Thursday in Port Harcourt, discontinued further hearing on the matter.
The discontinuation of hearing on the matter and its consequent adjournment to January 21, 2021 is sequel to the motion of stay brought by Hon.Nwuzi through his Counsel, Tuduru Edeh SAN, who notified the court that his client had appealed the court’s decision to go ahead with hearing the matter despite their contesting the territorial jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear it.
Despite heated and vigorous objection raised by the plaintiff’s Counsel, Ifedayo Adams Adedipe SAN, Justice Omotosho ruled that for justice not only to be served but seen to be served, he would stand down further hearing on the matter till January 21, 2021 when the defendant/respondent’s Counsel will update the Court with the progress of the matter at the Appeal Court.
It would be recalled that the PDP is alleging that Hon. Nwuzi purportedly decamped to the All Progressives Congress, APC, recently, a development said to have irked the leader of PDP and governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who reportedly vowed to do everything possible to retrieve the House of Representatives seat of Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency seat from Hon. Nwuzi.
Speaking to reporters after the court session, a former Rivers State Publicity Secretary of APC, Warisenibo Chris Finebone, called on PDP and Gov. Wike not “to carry an elephant carcass on their head and be fiddling snails with their feet.”
“Governor Wike and his party should leave Hon. Ephraim Nwuzi alone and face the giants such as Gov. (Dave) Umahi of Ebonyi State, and others who have left and are still leaving the PDP across the nation. For crying out loud, the governor should concern himself with stemming the nationwide exodus the PDP is witnessing and let Hon. Nwuzi be,” Finebone stated.
The legal team of Hon. Nwuzi led by Tuduru Edeh SAN, appeared well-prepared to battle their opponent in court toe-to-toe over the matter. This hint was dropped by an APC Chieftain, former Council Chairman and two-term Caretaker Chairman of Etche Local Government Council, Hon. Reginald Ukwuoma.
Hon. Ukwuoma, who is the current leader of APC in Etche, is coordinating the legal effort on the matter.
