Hearing in Elechi’s impeachment case stalled at state high court

Hearing in the ex-parte motion brought before an Abakaliki High Court by Governor Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State to restrain moves to impeach him was stalled on Tuesday.
The hearing was stalled due to the absence of the main respondents in case, the Speaker of the state Assembly, Chief Chukwuma Nwazunku, and its Chief Whip, Kingskey Ikoro.
They were sued on behalf of themselves and 14 other members of the assembly as well as the assembly itself.
The lead counsel to the governor, Chief Tagbo Ikeh, told the court that effort was made to serve the respondents without success.
Tagbo said: “The respondents have perpetually switched off their cell phones and locked their offices which made it very difficult to communicate with them.”
Tagbo noted that the inability to reach the respondents through the means specified by the injunction made him to file a motion praying the court to grant a leave of service through substituted means.
Justice John Igboji granted the motion that the first, second and third respondents be served through substituted service using either the Sun or Vanguard newspapers.
Igboji noted that the interim injunction issued earlier remained valid pending the determination of the substantive suit and adjourned the matter to March 17.
Igboji had on March 4 restrained the assembly from commencing its impeachment proceedings against Elechi.
This followed an ex-parte motion brought before the court by the governor seeking to restrain the assembly from proceeding with the impeachment process, in pursuant to his fundamental human rights.
The other respondents in the matter include the chief judge of the state, the commissioner of police in the state, the inspector-general of police and the Attorney-General of the Federation.