A member of the House of Representatives from Ebonyi state, Igariwey Enwo, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, have accused a High Court judge, Justice Vincent Nwancho of being under immense pressure of Governor Dave Umahi “to hurriedly deliver a verdict on a matter he had no jurisdiction on.”
Enwo, who represents Afikpo North/ Afikpo South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi in a reaction to the development, made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned what he described as an attempt by Governor Umahi to control the leadership of both the All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as the PDP in the state, saying it was a “travesty of the basic tenets of democracy”, which will certainly fail.
He lamented that since judicial processes were instituted over the controversial removal of chairman of the state’s chapter of the PDP in the aftermath of Umahi’s defecting to the ruling APC, citizens have lost hope on the state judiciary as a result of the blackmail and overbearing influence from the executive arm of government in the state.
On its part, the state PDP chapter said it was worried that Justice Vincent Nwancho is said to be under pressure to assume jurisdiction over the case, despite the transmission of the Record of Appeal, and the entering of the appeal in case NO. CA./E/03/2021, challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court to hear the matter, filed by the former chairman of the PDP, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, challenging his removal by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.
The party said it gathered that that the court premises in Abakaliki, the state headquarters was filled with heavily armed police men, including an armored personnel vehicles stationed at the entrance of the court. “Upon interrogation, one of the policemen said they were on special assignment, having been informed that the State Government was expecting a ruling from the court”, it said.
The party recalled that the Chief Judge of the State, who recently recused himself from adjudicating in the matter, was also under similar pressure from the state government before his withdrawal from the case. Justice Vincent Nwanchor has reportedly adjourned the matter to 20th January, 2021 for ruling on the interlocutory injunction.
