The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has adjourned to November 8 the hearing on a suit seeking to relieve Governor of Enugu State Sullivan Chime of his duties.
The appeal was filed by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Alexander Chukwuemeka Obiechina. In it, Obiechina challenges the refusal of a Federal High Court in Abuja to annul the nomination process that saw the Chime gain upper hand in late April, 2011.
Obiechina urged the court to determine if the 2011 elections process was valid.
Yesterday, he insisted that Chime was "handpicked through a kangaroo process," and complained that the High Court mistakingly held he did not participate in the primaries, despite all the parties agreeing that he was a candidate.
The High court, presided by Justice Adamu Bello, had on May 21, 2012, declined to sack Chime from office, saying it lacked the jurisdiction to nullify his candidacy in the last general elections, and noted that Obiechina was not a participant.
Obiechina's lawyer, Mr Oba Maduabuchi, urged the Appeal court to nullify the said "illegal" primary election, and order the governor to vacate the office.
Aside Chime, the other respondents in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP).
The future fate of Mr. Chime as Enugu state's Governor will be determined by the Court's decision.
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