Impeachment: Imo deputy gov sues CJ, Assembly

By CHARLES KUMOLU

IMO State Deputy Governor, Mr. Jude Agbaso, has dragged the state House of Assembly and  Chief Judge, Justice A B Njemanze, before the state  High Court  in Owerri, asking the court to stop the impeachment panel from taking further steps towards  removing him from office.

In a suit filed on March 14, 2013, Agbaso asked the court to hold that the constitution of the panel did not follow due process, noting that the outcome of the  proceedings will present a fait accompli.

Agbaso is also  asking the court to stop Justice Njemanze from acting on a request from the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Benjamin Anyanwu, to appoint a seven- man panel to further proceed against his removal.

The deputy governor wants the court to take judicial notice of the fact that the Chief Judge is aware of the pending suit, having been filed before him while he assigned the suit to Justice F I Duruoha Igwe and directed that the suit  be heard on Monday, March 18, 2013.