Ohakim Drags Ibe, Isiguzoro To Court Over Ohanaeze Election

A former Governor of Imo State, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, has dragged Engr Chidi Ibe, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Richard Ozubu to an Enugu State High Court seeking an exparte injunction restraining them from disrupting the forthcoming general election of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Joined as defendants in the suit filed by Ohakim’s counsel, Barr Aloy Ejimakor, are Ohanaeze Ndigbo, its President General, Nze Fidelis Ozichukwu Chukwu (for himself and as the President-General
Ohanaeze Ndigbo); Amb Okey Emuchay and Chief Ejiofor Onyia. Ibe, Isiguzoro and Ozubu are fifth, sixth and seventh defendants respectively.

In the suit Ohakim is seeking an order of interim injunction restraining Ibe, Isiguzoro and Richard Ozubu, whether by themselves, their agents, partners,
servants, representatives or privies, howsoever described, from
interfering with the Electoral Committee inaugurated by the president general of Ohanaeze, who is the second respondent, on 27th December 2024 and chaired by Chief Ejiofor Onyia, the fourth respondent, and/or conducting elections to the Office of the President-General of
Ohanaeze Ndigbo or any other Office, contrary to the provisions of Article 11 of Ohanaeze’s 2004 Constitution pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

He is also seeking an order of the court granting leave for substituted service of the Motion on Notice, affidavit in support of motion, written address and all other accompanying processes together with order of the court (if prayer 1 is granted) on all the respondents by pasting them at the entrance gate of Ohanaeze’s headquarters situate at No. 7, Park Avenue, GRA, Enugu, or by serving them on the administrative officers of Ohanaeze at its headquarters.

The motion also seeks “An order for abridgement of time from seven days to two clear days between the service of the motion on notice and other processes or any other number of days the Honourable court may deem fit to fix for the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

The applicant’s grounds are to preserve the res having perceived that the subject matter of the intended suit is in danger of being alienated, wasted, damaged and bastardized by Ibe, Isiguzoro and Richard Ozubu without having recourse to the provisions of the Ohanaeze Constitution.

According to the notice, “The applicant applies for an Interim Injunction prior to substantive suit being filed to restrain the act of lawlessness of Ibe, Isiguzoro and Ozubu from affecting the elections into the offices of Ohanaeze in accordance with its 2004 Constitution.”

Ohakim further seeks to uphold the Provisions of Article 11 of Ohanaeze’s 2004 Constitution which provides that the office of the President General shall rotate among the Igbo speaking states and the Igbo speaking areas of Delta (Anioma) and Rivers State in alphabetical order thus: Abia, Anambra, Delta (Anioma), Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers.

Ohakim, in an affidavit, claims that Ibe, Isiguzoro and Ozubu, as well as their cohorts, agents and privies
constituted a parallel electoral body without lawful authority.

According to him, “The illegal constitution of another electoral body is to cause confusion among members, and bastardize the constitutional process of the forthcoming General Elections.

“They intend to go against the
constitution by throwing the contest to offices as an open and free for all, particularly the office of the President-General. They are scheming to fill an aspirant to the office of the President-General from Abia State of Nigeria in total disregard and contravention of the constitutional provisions of mandatory rotation amongst states which qualifies Igbo-speaking people of Rivers State of
Nigeria as the next state to produce President-General.”

He added, “By this application, therefore, I earnestly pray to court to restrain Ibe, Isiguzoro and Ozubu, accordingly, to forestall a possible breakdown of the law and order within the fold or family of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing.

THE WHISTLER reports that the election is scheduled for January 10, 2025, with the slot of the PG zoned to River State.

Ohakim Drags Ibe, Isiguzoro To Court Over Ohanaeze Election is first published on The Whistler Newspaper