As the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia is set to deliver judgment in the petition by the immediate past Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji today, journalists were barred from covering the proceedings.
The petition challenging the declaration of Hon Obi Aguocha as the member representing Ikwuano -Umuahia federal constituency by INEC.
Igbere TV correspondent saw armed personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS, manning the entrance to the courtroom at High Court premises Umuahia, while allowing only legal practitioners and representatives of the parties in the suit access to the courtroom.
One of the DSS personnel on duty simply told our correspondent that it was a directive from the Chairman of the three-man panel.
The former Speaker who contested under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, approached the tribunal seeking the nullification of Aguocha’s removal on several grounds. One of the reliefs sought by Orji was the removal of Aguocha for allegedly participating in the PDP primaries before joining the Labour Party. Meanwhile, interested persons are milling around the court premises curiously waiting for the outcome of the court trial.
