IMO: Court dismisses suit to stop Ihedioha’s inauguration

Justice P.A Rimgim of a Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State has dismissed a suit seeing to halt the inauguration of the state’s governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha on May 29.

The Judge gave the ruling on Tuesday while delivering judgement in a suit filed by the plaintiff, the governorship candidate of the Democratic Alternative, Clifford Eze.

The Court also awarded a N5 million cost against the plaintiff.

The Judge held that he lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Emeka Ihejirika, noted that apart from lack of jurisdiction, court processes were also abused by the plaintiffs.

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Ihejirika explained: “It is a primary knowledge that the regular court does not entertain post-election matters. The plaintiffs are already at the tribunal and the same things they brought up for argument at the tribunal are the same things they brought to the regular court.”

“Apart from the Federal High Court lacking the jurisdiction to entertain the suit, it was an abuse of court processes. That was why the court slammed a N5m cost against the plaintiffs. It is as simple as that”, he said.

By Babatunde Alao…

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