Abuja – The hearing of appeals against the nomination of Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu as governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2015 election was on Wednesday at the Supreme Court stalled.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the withdrawal of Justice Amina Augie from the seven-man panel was responsible.

The apex court was billed to entertain the appeals filed by Mr Uche Oga and Mr Friday Nwosu, challenging the nomination of Ikpeazu as the party’s governorship candidate.

At the resumption of proceedings, Augie had informed the court that she wished to be isolated from sitting on the appeals.

She hinged it on the fact that she was among the panel that decided on the appeals at the Court of Appeal in Owerri.

NAN reports that a petition had been filed against Augie, who they accused had purportedly selected four justices of Abia extractions to sit on the appeals against the governor in Owerri.

The petitioners, who were also the appellants in these appeals, had also accused her to have influenced the proceeding in favour of the governor.

NAN reports that the inability of the counsel to the parties to diligently exchange processes was also part of the sundry challenge that stalled the proceedings.
Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who presided therefore, adjourned the matter, saying however, that the new date would be communicated to parties.

“The Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, shall approve of the date for this case shortly,’’ he said.

The other parties in the matter are the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP.