Court orders prompt hearing of Okorocha’s certificate of return suit

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered the prompt hearing of the suit which the immediate-past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, to challenge the Independent National Electoral Commission’s refusal to issue to him a certificate of return as the senator-elect for the Imo West Senatorial District.

The court validated the day-to-day hearing the Federal High Court had been giving the suit before some interlocutory appeals arose from the case.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja had, on May 22, 2019, adjourned proceedings in the case filed to await the Court of Appeal’s decision in the motion for stay of proceedings filed by a defendant in the suit, Osita Izunaso.

But at the May 27 proceedings, the court struck out some motions impeding the hearing by the Federal High Court and commended the Justice Abang’s approach to the hearing of the suit.

The court struck out two motions filed by Izunaso; one for leave to appeal an interlocutory decision of the trial court, and the other, for an order staying proceedings at the Federal High Court pending the determination of the appeal.

The court struck out both motions after lawyer to Izunaso, Edidem Ani, applied to withdraw them on realising that they were defective.