There was chaos on Monday at the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal venue for the hearing of the State and National Assembly appeal cases from Imo State, when the All Progressive Congress counsel, Echezona Etiaba, (SAN), presented two petitions allegedly written by his clients accusing the three-member panel of being compromised.
In the letter, which was read by the presiding Justice, the APC accused Damian Dodo (SAN), whom they alleged to be counsel for one of the appellants of being the conduit to reach the panel headed by Justice Danjuma Mohammed, who is the presiding Judge of Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal.
Other members of the panel are Justice Peter Affen from Yola Division and Justice Asmau’u Musa Mainoma, who is one of the newly appointed justices to the Court of Appeal.
However, Dodo was not counsel for the Peoples Democratic Party or Labour Party at any time in any of the pre-election cases or the main tribunal in Imo State.
Dodo was also not counsel for any of the parties at the tribunal and even before the Court of Appeal.
Following the development, the justices, after declaring their innocence, went a step further to recuse themselves from the appeals of Imo State.
Meanwhile, lawyers who were present at the sitting who were angry at the turn of events, as all the appeals were not heard, lambasted their colleague for using his status as a SAN to present such unbelievable and defamatory petitions and moved the panel to recuse themselves while also accusing his brother silk.
One of the lawyers, Ajuonuma Stanley called for the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee to look into the matter and also urged the President of the Court of Appeal to ensure the case is heard by men and women who can’t be compromised to complete their assignment.
He said: “The LPPC should immediately look into this kind of unprofessional conduct. He cannot accuse a fellow SAN of being in a matter when the records show that the said SAN was not anywhere involved in the matter.
He accused justices of the Court of Appeal of having received bribes and such allegations should not go without proper investigation. I also call on the President of the court to be more vigilant.
He accused the PDP of compromising the justices but the appeal that was called was that of Okigwe North Federal Constituency filed by LP candidate Chikwem Okafor. So, what was the PDP’s connection in that?”
