Okorie, APGA Ask Appeal Court President to Probe Lawyer over Unauthorised Appeal
Alex Enumah in Abuja
Former National Chairman and founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has dragged a lawyer, Mr Sopuluchukwu Ezeonwuka, before the President of the Court of Appeal over alleged sharp practices in an appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/454/2023, between APGA and others against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.
Okorie, APGA’s National Chairman, Chief Edozie Njoku, Chief Jonathan Osigho, and others claimed that the lawyer had filed an appeal on their behalf without their knowledge and authorisation.
They also claimed that Ezeonwuka filed the appeal with the intention of getting a favourable judgement for the respondents in the appeal.
The letter, titled, “Petition Against Barr. Sopuluchukwu E. Ezeonwuka for the sharp practices in Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/454/2023: APGA & ors V. INEC & ors,” was written on behalf of Okorie, Osigho, and APGA by their lawyer, Nkechinyere Ogbuehi.
The petition read in part, “We write to bring to your Lordship’s attention the very disturbing action of Sopuluchukwu E. Ezeonwuka in the above appeal and the need for your esteemed office to look into this scenario very carefully.
“P. I. Ikwueto, SAN (Counsel to Chief Victor Ike Oye) tried to import this judgement into Appeal No: CA/724/2023: Chief Victor Ike Oye V. Otunba Camaru Lateef Ogidan & 2 ORS, during the adoption and hearing of the appeal on the 27th of May, 2024, in favour of the appellant.
“Ikwueto, SAN’s presentation made our clients to become aware of the existence of the said judgement from the Court of Appeal for the first time. It is our client’s brief that they have no idea whatsoever of Appeal No: CA/ABJ/CV/454/2023: APGA & ORS V. INEC & ORS and never briefed any one to file or prosecute the said appeal.
“The purported appeal emanated from Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1750/2022: OKORIE & ORS V. INEC ORS initiated at the Federal Court, Abuja with the following as Plaintiffs: APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie, Jonathan Oyiborhino Osigho and Hon. Barr Sopuluchukwu Ezeonwuka.
“After the judgement at the trial court delivered by Hon. Justice J. K. Omotosho on the matter on March 27, 2023, the party, APGA instructed all the members involved in the matter not to go on appeal as soon as the Supreme Court Judgement was corrected in their favour on 24th of March, 2023 in SC/CA/687/2021: Chief Jude Okeke V. APGA & ORS.”
They described as strange the fact that Ezeonwuka, without the approval of the party and without consulting the other appellants or securing their approval, surreptitiously took out an affidavit on behalf of the entire appellants and went at their back to file an appeal without the consent of the party, Okorie or Osigho.
