Plot to impeach Elechi stalled as court restrains lawmakers March 6, 2015 Austine blog Times

By Ogo Anioke The plot by some members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to impeach the State Governor, Martin Elechi, on Wednesday suffered a setback as a High Court sitting in Abakaliki granted an interim injunction restraining the lawmakers from continuing with the impeachment. The court restrained the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chukwuma Nwazunku, 14 other lawmakers and the State Assembly from continuing with the action without serving the governor an impeachment notice. The court, presided by John Igboji, also granted an injunction restraining the Chief Judge of the State, Alloy Nwankwo, from constituting a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegation of improprieties levelled against Mr. Elechi pending the determination of the substantive application. “That an interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 1st-3rd respondent from howsoever continuing with the impeachment proceeding against the Applicant without causing the Applicant to be served with notice of impeachment pending the determination of the substantive application,” the court ruled. “That the 4th Respondent is hereby restrained from constituting a panel of seven persons to investigate the allegation of improprieties leveled against the Applicant pending the determination of substantive application.” The judge after granting the injunction adjourned the matter for the substantive hearing to Tuesday, March 10, 2015. Meanwhile, the State Governor through his Chief Press Secretary, Onyekachi Eni, commended the judiciary for standing against injustice and regretted the media publications alleging that the state governor has already been served a notice by the House of Assembly. The Ebonyi state lawmakers accuse Mr. Elechi of corruption and have vowed to remove the governor from office. Last week, the assembly passed a resolution to commence the impeachment of the governor by serving him a notice.