The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) has written a petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, against some legal practitioners repressing the faction of the party.
The APGA NWC wants Chief Victor Ike Oye’s legal practitioners investigated and necessary actions taken against them by the LPDC in the petition.
APGA NWC, in the petition signed by Muhyideen Imam, its National Secretary, accused some lawyers representing Chief Victor Ike Oye of continuing to disobey court orders, including rulings by the apex court.
The party stated in the petition that, “The act(s) of the Respondents refusing to obey and comply with the subsisting judgments of the Supreme Court made on the 14th October, 2021 and corrected on the 24th March, 2023 and duly served on them amounts to disobedience of the Judgments and Orders of the Supreme Court.
“a. The actions of the 1st Respondent posing and parading himself and occupying the Party’s Secretariat as the National Chairman of APGA contrary to the judgement and order of the Supreme Court made on the 14th October, 2021 and corrected on the 24th March, 2023 is in disobedience of the Judgments of the Supreme Court.
“b. An Order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the 2nd Respondent, whether by itself, agents, privies, assigns, authorised representatives or whosoever described from accepting, recognizing and dealing with the 1st Respondent.”
The petitioners further stated, “C.. The Respondents must comply with the decision of the Supreme Court made on the 14th October, 2021 and subsequently corrected on the 24th March, 2023, which was exhibited as Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 4(A & B) in the supporting affidavit of the Originating Summons which has also been served on them.
“d. It is hereby declared that all the actions taken or to be taken by the 1st respondent (as the Chairman of APGA) and the 2nd Respondent as regards to congresses, conventions, primaries, meetings or flags off campaign of any kind whatsoever in disregard and disobedience to the judgement of the Supreme Court, attached as Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 4(A & B) in the affidavit in support of the Originating Summons made on the 14th of October, 2021 and subsequently corrected on the 24th March, 2023 are unlawful, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
The petitioners alleged that the lawyers have embark in every step to undo what the apex court has decided and as a result engaged in all the tricks including taking up fresh suits at the Federal High Courts Abuja and Anambra State, in disguise to re-litigating matters bothering on the internal affairs of a political party, already resolved by the Courts, even to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
“Their actions only suggest the counsel are forum shopping and attempting to subtly coerce the High Courts to seat on appeals, over the decisions of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.”
“These clearly are the highest level of abuse of the Court process and a clear attempt capable of scandalising and ridiculing the court system, which these desperate senior counsels must not be allowed to do,” the petition read in part.
THE WHISTLER reports that Oye through his counsels had filed fresh suits at the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State; in Suit No. FHC/AWK/CS/263/2023: SIR OJUKWU OBAKASI V. INEC & ORS and another suit in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2024: APGA & ANOR V. INEC & ANOR, pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja, FCT.
APGA in its petition said, “It is said that litigation must have an end and it is the duty of counsel as ministers in the temple of justice, to advise and counsel their clients in line with the law and in upholding the ethical professional code, guiding legal practitioners in their practice of law.
“In this case, the conducts and actions of these senior counsel are not only inimical to their oath as Legal Practitioners, but also against the rule of law, especially as Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who owe the profession a duty to uphold its integrity as the pacesetters and the light of the society.
“Our complaint as stated above is borne out of the respect we have for the legal profession and the ideals it holds, which in our respectful opinion are lacking in the way and manner these senior counsel conducted themselves in the matters stated above.
“We, therefore, employ you to use your good office and consider our complaint and take necessary actions that will deter desperate practitioners of your noble profession from portraying you in bad light before the right-thinking members of the society.”
APGA Petitions LPDC Against Oye’s Lawyers For Disobeying Supreme Court Judgement is first published on The Whistler Newspaper