Court fines Makarfi group over appeal

Justice Okon Abang of an Abuja Federal High Court, has slammed a fine of N50, 000 on Fedinand Obi, counsel representing the Makarfi led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), n the ongoing legal battle for the leadership of the party.

At the resumption the matter filed before it by the Ali Modu Sheriff led faction, Obi had moved his application for stay of proceeding, which the court held as an unnecessary delay of court’s hearing.

The application was premised on the grounds that, he had filed a motion before the Appeal Court challenging an earlier ruling of the court, which held that the Makarfi led faction; been an apostle of political impunity, had no constitutional backing for selecting a representative for the PDP.

Justice Abang while faulting the move of the Markafi’s lawyer, said he was wrong to have approached the higher court without first waiting for the final decision of the lower court, and that the failure of Obi to first ensure a valid appeal before proceeding to the appellate court means that he (Obi) had laboured in vain.

The trial court subsequently upheld the legal representation of the Sheriff faction of the PDP, Olagoke Fakunle, averring that, action of the appellant to compel aunecessary delay for five hours deserved judicial consequence.

Obi was asked to pay cost of N50,000 to the Sheriff’s faction, while an application by Makarfi and six others to become parties in the mater was upheld.

SEYI ANJORIN