Court Strikes Out Suit Seeking To Stop Ihedioha’s Inauguration …Awards N5m Against DA Gov Candidate

A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri on Tuesday struck out a suit seeking to stop the inauguration of the Imo State Governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha, on May 29.

In his judgment, the presiding judge, Justice P.A. Rimgim, said the plaintiff, Clifford Eze, who was the governorship candidate of the Democratic Alternative during the governorship election in the state, had no legal right to approach a regular court for a post-election matter.

In striking out the matter, the judge said his court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

He subsequently awarded a N5m cost against the plaintiff.

Reacting, one of the defence counsels, Emeka Ihejirika, said that apart from the lack of jurisdiction, court processes were also abused by the plaintiffs.

Ihejirika said, “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.”

The governor-elect, who spoke to our correspondent shortly after the judgment was delivered, said that it was a victory for the people of the state.

Ihedioha who spoke through his media aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu, said he was ready to work with everybody, including the plaintiffs and members of the opposition parties, to move the state forward as from May 29.