By CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI — Controversy is now trailing the appointment of new members of Imo State Independent Electoral Commission, ISIEC.

Already, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Jude T. U. Nnodum, has written the leadership of the State House of Assembly, giving reasons why the lawmakers should not approve the appointments forwarded to the House by Governor Rochas Okorocha.

In the letter dated September 26, by Mrs. N. Chibuisi, on behalf of Nnodum, the lawyer drew the attention of the House to the pendency of a suit on the matter.

“The attention of our clients has been drawn to the purported appointments of some persons to the offices of Chairman and members of ISIEC, and that the said purported appointments have been transmitted to your distinguished House for approval,” Nnodum stated.

He reminded the lawmakers that in the suit, HOW/534/2012, Paul Ogujiofor and three others dragged the Governor of Imo State, Attorney General of Imo State, ISIEC and Imo State House of Assembly on the same subject matter.

Chief Nnodum also reminded the lawmakers that the suit was transferred recently by an Owerri High Court to the National Industrial Court, Owerri, for hearing and determination.

“As a party to the litigation aforementioned, the Imo State House of Assembly is obligated to observe the rule of law in this case, by not taking. Any step which would prejudice the pendency of the suit”, the learned SAN stated.

Continuing, Chief Nnodum stated that the House was expected to decline to approve the purported appointments on the simple ground that the whole exercise falls within the purview of the reliefs sought in e pending suit.

After referring the a house to 4 Nigerian Weekly Law Report, (Part 158) 514 and 537, Nnodum equally made it clear that the stance of his clients has nothing to do with the persons whose names have been forwarded to the House for confirmation but stressed “it is rather an issue of rule of law”.