JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out an application by the candidate of the Labour Party in Enugu State in the 18 March governorship election, Hon Chijioke Edeoga, seeking to be joined in the lawsuit instituted by Governor Peter Mbah against the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for alleged misrepresentation of facts on his discharge certificate.
The court struck out the application for a joinder after it was withdrawn by the applicant.
The court however warned against false reportage of the court’s proceedings in the N20 billion lawsuit between the governor and the NYSC.
During the proceedings, before parties began to move pending applications, Justice Ekwo interjected and warned against false reportage. He said, “In this court, I operate an open-door policy. I have instructed my registrars to make available to the media whatever document they need. I have always said that all that I want is accurate reportage of proceedings before this court.
“It is only in this country that some persons, who called themselves journalists, will report falsehood and get away with it. I am not even saying you should be objective but report the facts the way they are, that’s why the registrars have been working with the media to ensure court proceedings are not misrepresented.”
During the proceedings, counsel to NYSC, Aminu Sadauki, told the court that he filed a notice of preliminary objection and the court asked if he filed it alongside the substantive motion, to which he responded in the negative.
The counsel to Governor Mbah, Mr Emeka Ozoani (SAN) conceded to more time to allow Sadauki to regularise his papers. The court, therefore, adjourned to 11 July 2023 for a definite hearing of the substantive motion.
Meanwhile, shortly after the case was adjourned, a section of online media, who were presumably not in court to cover proceedings, reported that Justice Ekwo refused to grant an order of interlocutory injunction sought by Mbah to restrain the NYSC from appearing before the Election Petitions Tribunal to give evidence with respect to the alleged forged NYSC certificate he presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
However, the application being referred to was never moved before the court as the court set the matter down for a definite hearing on 11 July.
Source: Leadership
Eighteen-Eleven Media