The Legal fire works at the Appeal Court Owerri, between Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC resumes tomorrow, Wednesday by 1pm.
The judges will tomorrow consider the applications of the INEC to produce more evidence on the matter and also adopt addresses of the counsel of Dr Ikedi Ohakim and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and other parties in the case now for definite hearing.
Senator Araraume, the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the said election had gone to court to challenge INEC on the result of the May 6, 2011 Governorship Supplementary Election which declared Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, winner.
He is praying the court to cancel the election, as according to him, the election did not comply with the Electoral Act and Constitution of Nigeria.
However, Owelle Okorocha, APGA, Ikedi Ohakim and PDP all sought for application to be joined in the suit as interested parties in the case, and were granted even as the former has gone to supreme court to stop Ohakim and PDP from joining. Ohakim and PDP are asking to be declared winner of the April 26, 2011, as according to them, supplementary election does not exist in Nigeria.
Therefore, tomorrow’s seating will determine the shape of the case proper as counsel representing various parties in the matter get set for the meat of the proceedings.
The main focus tomorrow will be the application of the INEC to furnish the Court with more evidences on the mater, a situation which has heightened tension over the lingering battle for the soul of Imo.
Meanwhile, Owelle Okorocha has gone to the Supreme Court to stop Ikedi Ohakim and PDP from joining in the matter, but Judiciary experts say that the proceedings at the Appeal Court will go on, as that in the Supreme Court is a different case entirely.
As usual, supporters of the plaintiff and defendants are expected in their numbers at the Appeal Court tomorrow.
