The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has named a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and six other lawyers as those who played roles in a series of conflicting ex-parte court orders issued by some judges in political cases last year, 2021.
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This is contained in a Notice from the NBA made available to TheNigeriaLawyer.
The lawyers in question are Mba Ukweni SAN and Henry Adedayo Bello. Others are Abubakar Abdullahi, Chibuzor C. Ezike, Christagonus Okechi Nkoku, Ezea Ferdinand, M. Iyke-Iweajunwa (Mrs) and Chief Jude Okeke.
The Notice reads in part, “Upon the conclusion of the investigation of the Committee, the NBA has now caused six (6) petitions to be sent to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee. The other 2 petitions will be filed soon.
The legal practitioners involved include:
1. Henry Adedayo Bello
2. Abubakar Abdullahi
3. Mba Ukweni SAN
4. Chibuzor C. Ezike Esq.
5. Christagonus Okechi Nkoku
6. Ezea Ferdinand.
7. M. Iyke-Iweajunwa (Mrs)
8. Chief Jude Okeke of APGA was a Defendant in 3 of the cases investigated. He caused cases to be instituted against him in the High Courts of Jigawa, FCT and Imo State in connivance with the Claimants and their Counsel.”
The NBA further explained that Petitions have been written to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee by the NBA 1st Vice-President, Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins.
“The Petitions were written to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) on the 25/3/2022 by the John Aikpokpo-Martins, the 1st Vice President on behalf of the NBA
The petitions are:
1. BB/LPDC/814/2022: NBA V Ntufam Mba Ukweni, SAN.
2. BB/LPDC/809/2022: NBA V Chibuzor Ejike, Esq.
3. BB/LPDC/810/2022: NBA V Ejiofor Ezea.
4. BB/LPDC/811/2022: NBA V Christogonus Nkoku.
5. BB/LPDC/812/2022: NBA V Abubakar Abdullahi.
6. BB/LPDC/813/2022: NBA V Henry Adebayo Bello.” the Notice further reads
Recall that some months ago, a number of conflicting orders relating to political matters, were obtained from several courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
It would be recalled that in one week, three courts in different states also issued counter-orders with respect to the office of the national chairman of the PDP.
On August 24, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt restrained Uche Secondus from parading himself as PDP national chairman.
However, in another twist, the Kebbi State High Court in Birnin-Kebbi restored Mr Secondus’ mandate as the national chairman of the opposition PDP on August 27.
A day after Mr Secondus’ reinstatement, another the High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, issued an interim order restraining him from resuming office as PDP chairman.
The NBA expressed concerns over the issue.
“The recurring contradictory decisions by our courts, based on apparently indiscriminate grant of orders and counter-orders, in a way, evokes memories of those eerie and unwanted dark days,” Mr Akpata had lamented last August.
He added: “These developments in our courts are antithetical to the actualisation of the just society and independent judiciary that we all aspire to.”
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, consequently summoned the Chief Judges of six states over the wave of conflicting orders issued from their courts and the concerned judges were sanctioned
Okogbule Gbasam of the High Court of Rivers State, Nusirat Umar of the High Court of Kebbi State and Edem Kooffreh of the High Court of Cross River State, were barred by the NJC from elevation to either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.
While Mr Gbasam and Ms Umar were blocked from promotion to the higher bench for two years, Mr Kooffreh’s sanction carries five years.
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