From Godwin Tsa Abuja
Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) have been dragged before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) over alleged professional misconduct.
They are accused of re-litigating matters bordering on the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which had long been decided by both the lower and Supreme Courts.
The affected senior lawyers listed in a petition dated September 2, 2024 are Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Patrick Ikwueto (SAN).
They were together with another lawyer, Victor Agunzi, accused of engaging in acts that breached their oath as legal practitioners and ministers in the temple of justice.
The petition which was addressed to the chairman of the LPDC by the National Secretary of APGA, Muhyideen Imam, noted that the actions and conduct of the lawyer’s are not only inimical to their oath as legal practitioners, but also against the rule of law.
After five years in the legal trenches, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, had on July 9, 2024, finally accorded recognition to Chief Edozie Njoku as the National Chairman of APGA.
The recognition of Njoku by the electoral body followed decisions of various courts including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
The party stated that instead of putting an end to litigations after the judgments of the various courts which were all in favour of Chief Njoku, the lawyers have inspired their client to file fresh suits at the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State and the Abuja division of the court on same subject matter.
“It is said that litigations must have an end and it is the duty of counsel as ministers in the temple of justice, to advise and counsel their client in line with the law and in upholding the ethical professional code guiding legal practitioners in their practice of law.
“Surprisingly, in their desperations to undo everything in favour of their client, even with their pending appeals at the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, the same senior counsel have inspired and taken up fresh suits at the Federal High Court, Abuja, and Anambra State, in disguise to re-lilitating matters bordering on the internal affairs of the party already resolved by the courts, even to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
“The fresh suits inspired and filed by the senior counsel for and on behalf of their client are: suit no: FHC/AWK/CS/263/2023, between Sir Ojukwu Obasaki V INEC and ors pending at Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State, and suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/966/2024, between APGA and Anor V INEC and Anor, pending at Federal High Court, Abuja.”
The party said “these actions only suggest the counsel are forum shopping and attempting to subtly coerce the high court to seat on appeal over decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.”
These clearly are the highest level of abuse of the court process and a clear attempt capable of scandalizing and ridiculing the court system, which these desperate senior counsel must not be allowed to do.
The petition therefore, urged the LPDC to take necessary actions that “will deter desperate practitioners from portraying the legal profession in bad light before the right thinking members of the society.”
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