Journalists were barred from covering the proceedings as the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia is set to deliver judgment in the petition by the immediate past Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, against the member representing Ikwuano -Umuahia federal constituency, Hon Obi Aguocha. Armed personnel of the Department of State Services, DSS, manned the entrance to the courtroom at High Court premises Umuahia allowing only legal practitioners and representatives of the parties in the suit access to the courtroom.

An attempt by our Correspondent to gain entrance into the courtroom was rebuffed by one of the DSS personnel on duty who simply told him it was a directive from the Chairman of the three-man panel. The former Speaker who contested under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, approached the tribunal seeking the nullification of Aguocha’s removal on several grounds. One of the reliefs sought by Orji was the removal of Aguocha for allegedly participating in the PDP primaries before joining the Labour Party. Meanwhile, interested persons are milling around the court premises curiously waiting for the outcome of the court trial.