Supreme Court Gives Nwaoboshi 3-day Ultimatum to Respond to Ned Nwoko’s Appeal
Supreme Court Gives Nwaoboshi 3-day Ultimatum to Respond to Ned Nwoko’s Appeal
By Sparrow Adaeze & Comrade Iyom, Abuja.
The Supreme Court has handed controversial senator, Peter Nwaoboshi a three-day ultimatum within which to respond to the appeal filed before the court by Prince Ned Nwoko. The two Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] political gladiators are locked in legal tussle over the Delta North senatorial seat.
The apex court handed Nwaoboshi the deadline at its Tuesday hearing following a motion for accelerated hearing of the case filed by Ned Nwoko’s counsel, Onyeka Nwokolo.
Prince Ned Nwoko had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal which upturned the verdict of the Federal High Court declaring him [Prince Ned Nwoko] as the validly elected senator for Delta North.
The five-man Supreme Court panel which was in no mood to entertain frivolous motions by lawyers vowed to dispense with the case expeditiously and deliver judgment before the expiration of the sixty days timeline which expires on August 4th, 2019.
It should be recalled that the Supreme Court panel held that the first cross appeal by Nwaoboshi was ‘irredeemably defective’. Efforts by Nwaoboshi’s lawyer, Anthony Idigbe, SAN to salvage the application failed when the court rejected his request to effect correction verbally. The irredeemably defective cross appeal was struck out.
These happened as all prayers by Prince Ned Nwoko’s lawyers were granted which include but not limited to accelerated hearing. The request by counsel to Prince Ned Nwoko that the respondents should be given three days to file their motions was accepted by the Supreme Court judges. Similarly, Prince Ned Nwoko’s counsel’s request to be given 24 hours to file counter motion was also granted.
The decision was taken as the application of the All Progressives Congress [APC] candidate, Hon. Doris Uboh in the February 23 election to be joined in the suit ended abysmally.
However, the spirited efforts by Barr Obinna Nwosu, counsel to Hon. Doris Uboh who sought leave of the court to be joined as an interested party in the suit fell like a pack of cards. That happened during cross examination by the judges.
Doris Uboh’s lawyer could not answer many questions put to him by the judges and almost landed himself in trouble when he claimed that an official of the Supreme Court called him at 8.30 am on Tuesday to inform him for the first time of the day’s court proceeding. One of the judges directed him to report at his chambers immediately after the court session together with the official who allegedly called him. Sensing danger ahead, Doris Uboh’s lawyer buckled and suddenly became speechless at that stage.
The drama culminated in Uboh’s withdrawal of her bid to be joined as an interested party. Her action to become a senator through the backdoor was described by lawyers as legal rascality. Hon. Uboh and her counsel shamefully sneaked out of the court and hurriedly drove out of the premises before adjournment.
Earlier, Nwaoboshi’s lead counsel, Anthony Idigbe SAN had drawn the court’s attention to the presence of Uboh and her counsel pleading that they be allowed to table their case. He said he had already responded to the application filed by Uboh’s counsel.
That was apparently as a result of their fears that Prince Ned Nwoko would likely win the case at the apex court.
By Sparrow Adaeze & Comrade Iyom, Abuja.
The Supreme Court has handed controversial senator, Peter Nwaoboshi a three-day ultimatum within which to respond to the appeal filed before the court by Prince Ned Nwoko. The two Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] political gladiators are locked in legal tussle over the Delta North senatorial seat.
The apex court handed Nwaoboshi the deadline at its Tuesday hearing following a motion for accelerated hearing of the case filed by Ned Nwoko’s counsel, Onyeka Nwokolo.
Prince Ned Nwoko had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal which upturned the verdict of the Federal High Court declaring him [Prince Ned Nwoko] as the validly elected senator for Delta North.
The five-man Supreme Court panel which was in no mood to entertain frivolous motions by lawyers vowed to dispense with the case expeditiously and deliver judgment before the expiration of the sixty days timeline which expires on August 4th, 2019.
It should be recalled that the Supreme Court panel held that the first cross appeal by Nwaoboshi was ‘irredeemably defective’. Efforts by Nwaoboshi’s lawyer, Anthony Idigbe, SAN to salvage the application failed when the court rejected his request to effect correction verbally. The irredeemably defective cross appeal was struck out.
These happened as all prayers by Prince Ned Nwoko’s lawyers were granted which include but not limited to accelerated hearing. The request by counsel to Prince Ned Nwoko that the respondents should be given three days to file their motions was accepted by the Supreme Court judges. Similarly, Prince Ned Nwoko’s counsel’s request to be given 24 hours to file counter motion was also granted.
The decision was taken as the application of the All Progressives Congress [APC] candidate, Hon. Doris Uboh in the February 23 election to be joined in the suit ended abysmally.
However, the spirited efforts by Barr Obinna Nwosu, counsel to Hon. Doris Uboh who sought leave of the court to be joined as an interested party in the suit fell like a pack of cards. That happened during cross examination by the judges.
Doris Uboh’s lawyer could not answer many questions put to him by the judges and almost landed himself in trouble when he claimed that an official of the Supreme Court called him at 8.30 am on Tuesday to inform him for the first time of the day’s court proceeding. One of the judges directed him to report at his chambers immediately after the court session together with the official who allegedly called him. Sensing danger ahead, Doris Uboh’s lawyer buckled and suddenly became speechless at that stage.
The drama culminated in Uboh’s withdrawal of her bid to be joined as an interested party. Her action to become a senator through the backdoor was described by lawyers as legal rascality. Hon. Uboh and her counsel shamefully sneaked out of the court and hurriedly drove out of the premises before adjournment.
Earlier, Nwaoboshi’s lead counsel, Anthony Idigbe SAN had drawn the court’s attention to the presence of Uboh and her counsel pleading that they be allowed to table their case. He said he had already responded to the application filed by Uboh’s counsel.
That was apparently as a result of their fears that Prince Ned Nwoko would likely win the case at the apex court.
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