Chief Ogochukwu Onyema, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for the Enugu West Senatorial District in the 2019 general election, has petitioned a Federal High Court to declare Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s seat vacant.
Senator Ekweremadu is currently being held in detention in London, England, for alleged organ harvesting. Both the senator and his wife are on trial for alleged organ harvesting for their sick daughter.
In the suit, FHC/EN/CS/7/2022, filed at the Federal High Court in Enugu, Onyema also asked the court to order the PDP’s National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and the PDP to “select, nominate, and forward” his name to the National Assembly “as a replacement” for Ekweremadu.
Onyeama also asked the court to order Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and INEC to “withdraw or revoke, as the case may be, the Certificate of Return earlier issued to the third defendant (Ekweremadu) and issue a fresh Certificate of Return” to him.
In an originating summons, Onyema asked the court to rule on whether, “by virtue of the continuous absence of the 3rd defendant (Ekweremadu) from the Senate since the 22nd day of June 2022 or days prior (when he last attended the sitting of the Senate), up to the date of adaptation of this Summons, or any other date thereafter, it could be said that the 3rd defendant is still validly representing the plaintiff (Chief Onyema)
The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, on the other hand, has called Onyema’s actions satanic.
Its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, said in a statement that anyone filing such a suit against the lawmaker in the face of his current challenges was satanic.
“The council finds it agonizing that any human being could bring such a satanic and acidic suit against Senator Ike Ekweremadu,” Nnabuike said in a statement.
He noted that Onyeama’s demand was especially cruel because it came at a time when it was revealed that Ekweremadu was suffering from health issues while in detention.
As a result, the council urged the plaintiff to withdraw the suit immediately for the sake of posterity and human conscience, recognizing that no one is immune to health challenges.