Umeh Threatens To Drag Judge To NJC

                             

Anambra Elections petitions tribunal in Awka, yesterday was told that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) nominated Chief Willie Obiano and not Dr Chike Obidigbo for the November 16, 2013 Governorship election in the state.

Chief Victor Umeh, who was in the witness box yesterday to testify, at the tribunal that Obiano’s name was submitted to the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alongside that of his Deputy, Dr Nkem Okeke.

Furthermore, he said that he (Umeh) signed the forms as chairman of the party as required by INEC with Alhaji Abdulahi Shinkafi as the National secretary of APGA.

Umeh was being cross examined by counsel to Obidigbo Maduabuchi Oba in the case instituted by Obidigbo challenging the nomination of Obiano by the party as the candidate of APGA during the Governorship election.

Furthermore, Umeh told the tribunal that the primary conducted by his APGA during the period under review was monitored by INEC adding that any other leadership not recognized by INEC that produced a candidate was not valid.

According to him, “I was the validly elected national chairman of APGA and recognized by INEC as at the time the nomination of the candidate of the party took place”.

“I was not a party in the suit that said Chief Maxi Okwu was validly elected chairman of APGA, prior to that judgment, there was a judgment of the Appeal court on stay of execution in the Judgment of Enugu High Court which removed me and my executive as officers of APGA”.

“As a result, we filed a stay of execution and on the 8^th of April, 2013, the court of Appeal Enugu granted a stay of execution and that was the day Maxi Okwu was purported to have emerged as the National chairman and his colleagues”.

Meanwhile, Umeh threatened yesterday after testifying at the tribunal that he would drag Hon Justice Abdul Kafarati of federal High Court Abuja to the National judicial council (NJC).

He said judicial impertinence had been the problem in Nigeria, adding that his members would take Kafarati to task after all the cases.

Furthermore, he declared that his stay of execution was neither dismissed nor thrown out as being speculated, adding that what happened was that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear it any longer being a lower court.