Judge warns at APC, Accord, LP counsels for stalling trial

The Federal High Court Asaba, Thursday warned lawyers to the APC, Labour Party and Accord against any attempts to stall proceedings in a suit challenging the eligibility of all their candidates for the 2015 elections in Delta States.

Justice Olatoregun Isola, who was visibly angry at the lack of readiness of the defence lawyers, said: “I am not impressed with the way this matter is going,” she said. “This is a pre-election case, you should be ready for the matter before coming to my court. I will not tolerate these lapses. We need to tidy up the case; we have come to this court up to three times and we are still talking about papers.”

Justice Isola warned the defence counsels to ensure that they comply with the new practice directives which requires lawyers to file in all the necessary documents such as affidavits, counter affidavits, objections, before the commencement of the matter. She then directed all parties in the cases to ensure that all the necessary documents reach the court within 48 hours to ensure accelerated hearing of the case.

She also ordered Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lead counsel Mr.  Akinlolu T . Kehinde (SAN) to ensure that all the defendants totalling about 98 are served served all the necessary papers before the next hearing date, which has been fixed for April 17.

In his submission, Mr. Kehinde assured the court of  his preparedness to ensure that the cases proceed as scheduled but lamented that “the  defense counsels were laying land mines to frustrate the matter”, adding that all the necessary papers will be made available to the defence lawyers before the next adjourned date.

Counsel to Hon. Victor Ochei,  Rhiogbere Oluwakorede,  told the court that he was yet to receive some of the court filings to enable him prepare his defence  while  J.O Agbamu, counsel to APC said he got to know about the matter through a pasted notice on the door of the party’s secretariat as a substituted  service.

In the originating summons, dated 17th  March 2015,  PDP is asking the court to disqualify the candidates of the three political parties standing for election in the state  on the grounds  that  their  parties violated sections 85(1) of the Electoral Acts , 2010 (as amended) which provides that: “Every registered political party shall give the commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this act.”