Reps seat: LP is concerned about purported INEC efforts to frustrate appeals

Hon. Amobi Ogah, who represents the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State in the House of Representatives, has been accused by the opposition Labour Party, LP, of working with the All Progressives Congress, APC, to have him removed from office.

The National Assembly poll Petitions Tribunal, which was in Umuahia on September 29, dismissed the member who had previously been proclaimed the victor of the poll on February 25.

However, the Reps member disagreed with the tribunal’s decision and appealed it to the Appellate Court.

However, a drama that broke out at the Appeal Court in Lagos State on Thursday caused the hearing of the appeal to be postponed.

The LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, claimed in an open letter to INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu that there were arguments in the courtroom as a result of the alleged sudden decision of the electoral umpire, who is also a respondent in the case, to change its lawyer without prior notice.

The letter stated that although the party rejected the unexpected move, a faction of the LP and some APC supporters supported it, which caused the hearing to be postponed.

“Sir, what transpired yesterday, October 19th, 2023, was unbelievable; therefore, we call on you to nip the development in the bud to avoid a messy situation,” the letter said in part.

In order to represent the Commission, INEC hired Senior Counsel J.O. Asoluka (SAN) as its attorney.

But when the hearing in the Appeal Court got underway, a different attorney showed up with a new letter of power to take up the case of the same INEC without giving J.O. Asoluka (SAN) any notice that a new counsel had been hired.

“They also saw no need, as required by law, to tell the Plaintiff of the development. When this issue arose, a dispute between the two counsels over who had INEC’s permission to represent it in the lawsuit developed.

READ ALSO: LP responds to Apapa’s faction’s allegations that Peter Obi used his older brother’s diploma

“Some expelled members of the Labour Party, led by Lamidi Apapa, were rumoured to be present at the Appeal Court’s location. Some APC leaders who openly associate with the Apapa cohorts and openly boast that they will avoid judgement at all costs were also present.

“They also made an unsuccessful attempt to take over the Labour Party’s legal counsel.

“Chairman sir, it has now come to our attention that the Commission, working in concert with our adversaries, carefully orchestrated the change of legal guard without properly notifying the interested parties in order to stall proceedings at the Court of Appeal and thwart our candidate’s appeal, which was scheduled for hearing on Thursday.

“We are raising this alarm because time is of the essence, even though the collaborators achieved their goals because the court adjourned the appeal so INEC could get its act together and figure out which of the two counsels has the legal right to represent the appellant.

Therefore, we are utilising this opportunity to implore you to look into the shameful roles that the Commission’s legal section is playing and to discipline corrupt personnel.

“INEC’s responsibility in this situation is limited to defending the results of the election that it organised and in which it recognised Hon. Amobi Ogah as the legitimate winner who will represent the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

Any compromise that even seems must be rejected by the Commission. After the contentious 2023 general elections, Nigerians are still waiting to it to repair its reputation. It must prevent a few gullible Commission members from further undermining the organization’s integrity.