A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday adjourned a suit filed by Sir Siminlalayi Fubara, the Rivers Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor-elect and his deputy, Dr. Ngozi Odu, over alleged plan by the party to suspend them for judgement.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, fixed April 20 for judgement after Fubara’s counsel, Dr. Joshua Musa, and Mr. Johnson Usman, who represented the PDP and its executives, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the suit.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, Usman informed the court that the PDP wrote a letter to the Chief Judge (CJ) of FHC, Justice John Tsoho, asking that the case be reassigned to another judge.
The senior lawyer said they Justice Ekwo was copied in the letter.He said the letter, dated March 14, was received by the CJ on March 15.
The PDP letter prayed Justice Tsoho for the transfer of all the three cases currently before Justice Ekwo and its other cases to other judges.
The party cited loss of confidence and bias as grounds for the application.
But Musa objected the application, arguing that he was not aware of such letter.
He argued that such administrative letter cannot serve as a stay of proceeding since no response had been received from the CJ regarding the letter.
The judge, who said he had not seen the letter, said he got to know about the development through social media.
Ekwo, however, directed the parties to proceed in the matter having not received any communication in that regard.
After the counsel adopted their processes, the judge adjourned the first two cases for judgement.