From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
National Assembly candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for the 2023 general elections staged a peaceful protest against Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam of Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over his refusal to recuse himself from the matter involving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The action of the APC National Assembly candidates followed the refusal of the presiding judge to put on record the complaints arising from petition from the defendants which was announced by Ezemonye Ezekiel, who appeared for himself.
When the matter was mentioned in court yesterday, counsel for the People’s Democratic Party, Dem Wigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) informed the court of issues of service of court process.
But, when Ezekiel, who is the candidate for Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency of APC, reminded the judge of his and other candidates’ petition against him, the judge could not take record of the information, but went ahead to adjourn till September 20, 2022, for hearing.
Addressing newsmen outside the courtroom in presence of other candidates, Ezekiel said the action of Justice Daylop-Pam has again proven their earlier alarm that the judge was in a mission to allegedly destroy their political destinies.
On his part, the APC candidate for Rivers West, Asita Honourable, said they would resist every attempt by judge to hear their suit.
He said they have no confident in the presiding judge to deliver unbiased judgement alleging he might be influenced by the state government.