Police Arraign Enugu APC Chieftain Over Alleged Perjury

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

Enugu, Nigeria (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – An Enugu Chief Magistrate Court on Thursday arraigned a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State, Hon. Hyacinth Nsude, for allegedly committing perjury against his own party.

It was gathered that Nsude was arrested by the police on Wednesday night following a petition by two persons who claimed to be acting on behalf of APC, alleging that he committed perjury against the party.

After investigation, the police arraigned him in Court on a one-count charge of perjury.

When the charge was read to Nsude, at the court presided over by Chief Magistrate, Nnena Madu, he pleaded not guilty.

Making submissions before the Court, counsel to the defendant (Nsude), IK Ozor, argued that the charge should be dismissed as the supposed complainant was not in court and was not represented by anybody.

Ozor also urged the Court to grant the defendant bail, which the Court obliged.

The Court further ordered that APC should appear in Court on the next adjourned date to indicate whether it was aware of such complaint for which Nsude was being prosecuted.

The matter was however adjourned to March 11 for further hearing.

AFRICAN EXAMINER recalled that Nsude and some few APC members in Enugu State are before the Enugu State High Court challenging the decision of the State Government to constitute caretaker committees for the 17 local government areas in the State, instead of conducting local government elections to elect chairmen and councilors for the councils.

But, the leadership of the APC in the state has distanced its self from the lawsuit, saying Nsude,never consulted the party before heading to court, and was therefore on his own.

The two year tenure of the immediate past council chairmen in the state elapsed on January 5 this year.

Reacting to the development, the state chairman of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye, simply said “the law should take its course, adding that he cannot be comment on a matter before a competent court of jurisdiction.