The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Enugu State, eastern Nigeria,  in the April 11 election, Mr Okey Ezea, on Tuesday declared his counsel at the election petitions tribunal as incompetent and sought to take over his own case.

Ezea made the declaration following an argument between him and Mr Ikechukwu Aroh of Chukwuma Oguejiofor Chambers, who claimed to be his new counsel, over two written addresses filed on his behalf.

Okey Ezea: sacks counsel

One of the addresses was filed by the petitioner’s former counsel on Aug. 8 while the second was filed by Aroh four days later, even when he had not been admitted by the tribunal.

Aro told the tribunal that he was instructed by his principal to adopt the written address of Aug. 12 as the petitioner’s address and requested the tribunal to enlarge time for him to adopt the address as it was filed out of time.

The petitioner, however, objected on the ground that the tribunal should adopt the address of Aug. 8, saying that Aroh was out to ruin his case.

Aroh subsequently applied for withdrawal of appearance for the petitioner which the tribunal granted.

Ezea, who wanted to carry on with the petition himself, was opposed by the respondent on the ground that he was not listed as such in the petition.

The counsel to the respondent, Mr Patrick Ikwueto, had said that Ezea filed two different written addresses with different dates, adding that the two addresses were filed out of time and urged the petitioner to adopt one as his written address.

The tribunal held that the written address filed on Aug. 8 be adopted