Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, has in a renewed bid to keep his job, filed two fresh suits against the state Chief Judge and nine others.
In the suit, he is not only praying for specific declarations, but also urging the court to slam an injunction on the defendants.
Apart from the state Chief Judge, the other defendants in the suit – HOW/565/2018 – includes Nze Saba Nze, Charles Okoro, Barth N. Opara, Mr. Chika Anosike, Nwokoma Chidozie, Mrs. Olivia Nwanekezi, Amadi Chidinma, the Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly and Imo State House of Assembly.
In one of the two new suits, Madumere asked for five reliefs, including a declaration that the appointment of a seven-man committee to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct made by the Speaker and the Imo State House of Assembly, against the plaintiff, “is invalid, unconstitutional, null and void”.
He also prayed, among others, for an order of court, setting aside the appointment of seven persons by the Chief Judge, as members of the panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct made against the plaintiff by the Speaker and the State house of Assembly.
The Deputy Governor then prayed the Court to determine whether the Chief Judge can constitute a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegations leveled against him “after the expiry of seven days, from the date of the passing the State House of Assembly’s purported motion and the Speaker’s request to the Chief Judge, having regard to the provisions of Section 188(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended)”.
He also wants the Court to determine whether the Chief Judge can legally constitute a panel of seven persons of unquestionable integrity, to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct made against the plaintiff by the Speaker and the State House of Assembly, during the pendency of suit number HOW/531/201 instituted by the plaintiff against the Chief Judge, the Speaker and Imo State House of Assembly, in respect of the invalidity of the Assembly’s motion and the Speaker’s request to the Chief Judge to constitute the said panel.
In his 12-point affidavit, Madumere recalled that on July 13, 2018, he commenced a suit, HOW/531/2018, adding that the defendants were duly served with the Originating Summons and other processes in the suit, on July 16, 2018, and they were aware of the pendency of the suit.
In the second suit, the Deputy Governor prayed for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the seven-man panel and the Speaker of Imo Sate House of Assembly. “from in whatsoever manner, investigating or continuing to investigate the allegations made against the plaintiff, or sitting, or continuing to sit or to inquire or continuing to inquire or deliberate or continuing to deliberate on the aforesaid
allegations of gross misconduct against the plaintiff, or make any findings or continue to make findings against the plaintiff, pending the determination of this suit.”
Madumere also sought “an order of injunction restraining the Speaker and the Imo State House of Assembly from in whatsoever manner, receiving or accepting or acting on any report presented by the second to eight defendants, pending the determination of this suit”.
Our correspondent recalls that the Deputy Governor attached a 17-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion for interlocutory injunction.
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