By Obinna Nwachukwu
An Owerri Imo state based legal practitioner Barrister O.J. Abasie accused of being the attorney in the case filed at the Federal High court Owerri to stop the independent national electoral commission( INEC) from conducting the 2023 general elections has denied any knowledge of the court case.
He also denied knowing the plaintiff said to be one Nwankwere Morale Chinwe alleging that a fellow lawyer used his official Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) stamp to file the case without his consent.
And that same lawyer, one Barrister Blessing Iwuajunwa equally forged both his signature and office address.
This is contained in a public Disclaimer Barr Abasie released thursday.
It reads thus:
“My attention has just been drawn to a Suit commenced via Originating Summons filed at the Federal High Court, Owerri Judicial Division in Suit No. HOW/OW/CS/144/2022 Between NWANKWERE MORALE CHINWEN V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 1 ANOR.
“I hereby state in categorical and unequivocal terms that the suit was filed without my consent.
“The signature on the process is not mine and my initials is O.J. Abazie, Esq.
“The office address on the process is also not mine.
“The person behind this unfortunate act is one Blessing Iwuajunwa, Esq, a colleague in Owerri who was the only person I have given my NBA stamp since this year and she told me that she needs the stamp to prepare a land instrument owing to unavailability of her stamp.
“Let it be known that I do not know Nwankwere Morale Chinwen, the purported plaintiff in the Suit neither have I met him/her before. He is not my client and neither did he brief me for any matter whatsoever.
“Let it be known also that I have been preoccupied in the village with the burial preparation of my late mother for some time now.
“It is very pathetic that such sensitive suit which is likely to make or mar the future of a Nation could be filed without my consent, authority or approval.
“I hereby condemn such act in unequivocal terms and shall take the necessary steps to address such unprofessional conduct.
“The public should therefore take note,” Abasie wrote