|
Listen to article
|
An Abuja Magistrate Court y struck out a criminal summons filed against the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Ikenga Ugochinyere, by Chinasa Nwaneri, an aide to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.
The allegations contained in the summons bordered on the revelation by Ugochinyere of an alleged fraud by the All Progressives Congress in the voter register in 18 states, including Imo State.
A copy of the judgment, dated January 23, was obtained by journalists on Wednesday.
Justice M.A. Hassan of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory had suspended further proceedings on the matter pending the hearing of the application for judicial review filed by Ugochinyere.
Read Also: CUPP Calls For Arrest Of Uzodinma’s aide, Gives Reasons
The judge granted leave to the applicant by way of an order for certiorari, including an order of prohibition directed against the respondents by themselves or acting jointly or through agents, prohibiting them from conducting any hearing or further proceedings against the applicant in the matter of Nze Chinasa Nwaneri v Ugochinyere Ikenga, case number WZ6/CR/30/2022, or on any facts constituting the same subject matter as that case.
He also granted an order of injunction restraining each of the respondents, by themselves, jointly, or through agents, in respect of any matter whose subject matter constitutes the same as the case.
Relying on the above orders of the FCT High Court, Magistrate Umah Isa Dodo agreed that the impact of the order of the High Court was that he should stay proceedings, went further to also raise jurisdiction issues, and resolved that his court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The Magistrate had earlier threatened to order the arrest of Ugochinyere if he did not appear before him before he was served with the processes pending at the High Court, which warranted the suspension of the trial.
Efforts by J. C. Nwosu, counsel to Nwaneri, to persuade the magistrate court to proceed with the hearing of the case were opposed by counsel to Ugochinyere.
