A Magistrate Court in Abuja on Wednesday struck out a suit filed by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma’s aide, Chinasa Nwaneri against the Spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.
In a short ruling, the Magistrate, Hon.Umah Isa Dodo, agreed that the impact of the order of the High Court was that he should stay proceedings.
Dodo went further to raise jurisdiction issues and resolved that the court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
The court thereafter struck out the matter.
The FCT High Court had upon an application by Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere for judicial review of the trial and orders of the magistrate, ordered the magistrate to stay all proceedings.
The magistrate had earlier threatened to order the arrest of Ugochinyere if he did not appear before him before he was served with the processes pending at the High Court and which warranted the suspension of the trial.
Efforts by J. C. Nwosu, counsel for Mr. Nwaneri to urge the court to continue the hearing was opposed by Ikenga’s lawyers who succeeded in convincing the court to obey the pendency of the matter in the High Court and stop its own hearing.
A cross section of lawyers interviewed at the end of the session described the suit as provocative and a move to silence the opposition spokesperson who revealed the voter register manipulation popularly called the Omuma Magic.
