…as lack of electricity forces Anambra Tribunal on long adjournment
Despite being forced to take a reasonable long adjournment due to lack of electricity in the courtroom, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal One chaired by Hon Justice L. O. Ogundana has turned down the offer by lawyer to one of the respondents in the petition No EPT/AN/SEN/05/2023 brought before the three-man panel by the Anambra Central Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Hon Dozie Nwankwo, popularly called “Onyendozi” against Chief Victor Umeh of the Labour Party.
The lead counsel to the Labour Party, a Senior Advocate, Barrister Alex Ejesieme offered to provide the tribunal with diesel to power the court complex generating set to enable things proceed on schedule, especially a video clip his client needed to play to elucidate their defense.
The literally steaming and discomforting courtroom made the panel to adjourn to Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9,2023.
This was with the hope that the poor electricity supply would have improved or fixed.
However, the adjournment came after Justice Ogundana turned down the humble offer by Ejesieme’s(SAN), large quantity of diesel for the Court’s generating set.
The panel’s Chairman, Justice Ogundana politely declined, saying he didn’t want petitions flying around against the panel over the gesture.
He however bemoaned the unfortunate situation where the tribunal sits in very uncomfortable atmosphere. There was no lighting, fans or airconditioners. He compared the hot, dusty, and unfriendly courtroom with broken windows to his experience in Edo State that was so clement with 24hours electricity supply with all the air conditioners in proper condition.
However,Ejesieme (SAN), assured that he would take the matter to the Anambra State Chief Judge immediately after the day’s session.
Earlier while giving witness in one of the petitions brought against him by Princess Helen Mbakwe, a legal practitioner and candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Chief Victor Umeh insisted that the logo of NNPP on the ballot papers used for the Anambra Central senatorial election on Feb 25,2023 was the actual one approved by the National Secretary of the party during parties meeting with INEC ahead the election at the INEC headquarters.
Umeh’s stand contradicted the position of Princess Mbakwe that her party’s logo was not on the ballot papers for the election.
