HUMPHREY ONYEMESILI WINS ROUND ONE AT SUG HIGH COURT

Hearing on the Presidential Election Petition filed by Comrade Humphrey Onyemesili challenging the election of Comrade Ibe Cico Michael as the President, Students' Union Government, SUG, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, UNIZIK,  continued today at the UNIZIK SUG High Court.

In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that it has original jurisdiction to entertain the substantive suite and therefore strike out the preliminary objection raised by the Defence Counsel O.O Anyanwu.

In a related development, the court also strike out another objection challenging the relevance of the UNIZIK SUG constitution on the substantive suite.

The Defence Counsel had earlier raised an objection challenging the relevance of UNIZIK SUG Constitution on the substantive suite claiming that the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria is the only relevant constitution to the case.

The court also strike out another objection raised by the defence counsel which claimed that the petition was filed contrary to the provisions of the UNIZIK SUG Electoral Act. The court ruled that the UNIZIK SUG constitution supersedes the union's electoral act.

In a reaction after today's ruling of the court, the petitioner Comrade Humphrey Onyemesili said that it was a justification of democracy and expressed optimism that justice will prevail at the end.

Comrade Onyemesili also disclosed that he is already making history.

In another reaction, a former Senator of The National Association of Political Science Students, NAPSS, UNIZIK chapter, Senator Benjamin Anyaegbunam, disclosed that the ruling was a justification of the rule of law as all the objections raised by the defence counsel were dismissed and 'thrown into the dustbin'.

Efforts to get the reactions of the respondent who is also the SUG President were fruitless as he said earlier through a telephone call that he was busy with lectures in the classroom. His phone was later switched off.

Hearing on the substantive suite have been adjourned to Monday 24th February, 2014.