Tribunal Orders Substituted Services On Ekweremadu, 8 Others

By Emmanuel Acha, Enugu

The National Assembly (NASS) Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu on Monday granted exparte applications for substituted services on Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and eight other members of the PDP declared winners of the Feb. 16 NASS elections.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice C. H. Ahuchaogu after hearing the application ordered the petitioners/applicants to serve the respondents through the chairman or any principal officer of the PDP in the state.

Earlier, counsel to the petitioners/applicants, Mr Ochiagha Uzor who held the brief of Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN), told the tribunal that it had been difficult to serve the various respondents with the processes.

Uzor said that the respondents could not be cited at their known addresses, hence, the application to serve them through substituted means.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those to be served through substituted means are the Sen. Chukwuka Utazi, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani, Mr Pat Asadu, Chief Toby Okechukwu and Mr Okey Marthins.

Others are Mr Denis Amadi, Mr Offor Chukwuegbo, and Mr John Nnaji.

The petitioners/applicants are Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu, Mr Eugene Odo, Mr Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, Chief Lawrence Eze, Mr Marthins Ilo and Mr Jonathan Aniekezie.

Others are Mr Joseph Mmamel, Mr Nelson Arum and Mr Okwudili Nwafor all of the APC.