The embattled National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, has asked for a change of judge in his N400million scam trial.
Metuh, through his lawyers asked the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Ibrahim Auta, to transfer his case from Justice Okon Abang to another judge.
Justice Abang said the Chief Judge informed him of a petition written against him on the ground that refused to avail Metuh’s lawyers the records of the court, thereby denying them the inalienable right of appeal.
In the petition, the judge was also accused of bias in some of the rulings delivered during the trial and that he is also a classmate of the accused person, Mr Metuh.
However, Justice Abang said he will not withdraw from the case in line with the circular by the National Judicial Council, which directed any trial judge to continue to preside over a case, where a petition has been filed, until such a time when the chief judge of the court will make a decision.
READ: Court grants Olisa Metuh N600M bail in fresh case
He adjourned the trial to March 23, 2016 after an application by Metuh’s lawyer that the lead counsel to the PDP spokesman, Oyeachi Ikpeazu was ill and unable to attend the proceeding.
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