* Maxi Okwu slams contempt charge on Umeh *Judge hands off suit against Okwu.
Except a last minute reprieve comes, the rising leadership tension within the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) in Anambra state, the scheduled March 17 2014 handover date by the outgoing Gov Peter Obi
and the swearing-in of Chief Willie Obiano as governor of Anambra State would be jeopardized.
Already there are strong indications that the long awaited Obiano's moment of glory may be thwarted as a result of the boardroom politics of his party.
Unfortunately things appear not likely to abate soon, because yesterday Form 48 for contempt of court charges were served on the Former National Chairman of the party Chief Victor Umeh and his Former National Secretary Alhaji Sani Shinkafi.
This was on the instance of the Federal High Court, Abuja that reaffirmed Chief Maxi Okwu as party's National Chairman, for their alleged holding themselves out as the party's national chairman and secretary respectively when the court verdict had earlier decided on the contrary.
According to Okwu who spoke to journalists yesterday, noted that as the validly elected national chairman of the party who organized the party primary election that nominated Dr. Chike Obidigbo as the party's gubernatorial candidate in the November 16th 2013 election; all actions carried out by Umeh remains a nullity.
It would be recalled that few days to the election last year, the duo of Obiano and Obidigbo had their names on the list of candidates for the exercise while the candidacy conflict lasted and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) observed and endorsed the two primary elections.
Currently Obidigbo is at the Tribunal in Awka, challenging the candidacy of Obiano and praying the court to declare him candidate of APGA that won the said election.
Chief Okwu contended that the issues are in court and should not be wished away as according to him it is a lethal threat on the proposed inauguration of Chief Willie Obiano "We are in a law society, we are not in a jungle. Before the tenure interpretation of Governor Peter Obi people assumed that it would go the other way, so let us see what happened and I will not prejudge it.
"The matter is squarely and squarely before the court and the court will determine it based on its merit. If there is a court order obtained by Obidigbo which the Chief Judge of Anambra State is a party in the suit along with Obiano himself, myself and the APGA, the Chief Judge and all the parties in the suit will obey. Nothing says that if somebody is not sworn in Anambra will stop. There is a fall back position and the constitution of the country has taken care of that"
Okwu also announced that his executive has concluded all legal actions to send Chief Umeh and Alh Shinkafi to jail for contempt of court explaining that;
"Coming next week, we are going to occupy the 41 Libreville Street Abuja where there is an APGA signboard which has been known over the years as the official National Headquarters of the party. Even the letter the federal government wrote me as National Chairman of APGA was addressed to Libreville Street and I received the letter"
"Since Umeh has refused to reconcile with us, we shall now proceed to arrest him and prosecute him for contempt of court. Form 48 has been issued and signed and we will then issue form 49 within forty eight hours and he will face the legal music.
Similarly, Hon Justice H.O Ozor of Awka High Court 3 has earlier washed his hands off the suit filed against the judgment that affirmed the Convention that elected Maxi Okwu as National Chairman.
The suit which was filed urging Ozor who delivered the judgment to set his judgment aside saw Mr. Mac-Joe Onwudijo appearing before the court to distance himself from the matter on grounds that he never briefed any lawyer to work for him neither was he aware of any of suit filed at the court.
The presiding judge's handing off the matter was based on a petition filed by Maxi Okwu to the National Judicial Council (NJC) alleging bias on the part of judge.
According to the petition Okwu contended that "Once an appeal has been dismissed and hence affirming the judgment of the lower Court, then such judgment becomes the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the lower court can no longer venture it.
"It is therefore a shocker that Justice H. O. Ozoh of the Anambra State High Court has allowed himself to get into it. It is worth recalling that the Honourable Justice does not seem to realize that it is an affront on our judicial hierarchy for him to even contemplate, let alone venture to tamper with a Judgment of the Court of Appeal.
The essence of the whole charade is clear. It is only meant to clear the way for Chief Victor Umeh and Governor Peter Obi to have their way of installing Willie Obiano as Governor of Anambra State and this is when the Court has become functus officio.
It is in the light of this fragrant assault on the integrity of the judiciary that this humble application is brought seeking that sanity be restored to the judiciary in Anambra State. I pray that Justice Ozoh be called to order and the suit transferred to another Judge as I and my numerous do not have even a modicum of confidence in the impartiality of Justice Ozoh to do what is right".
From Chuks Collins, Awka
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