The Labour Party has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee over what it described as “deliberate attempt to mislead the public a broadcast where Mr Monday Mawah spoke contrary to the decisions of the Honourable Court of Appeal”.
“In the Basil Maduka’s appeal, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed the appeal simplicita and held that the appellant had no locus standi to institute the proceedings,” Comrade-Pastor Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of the Labour Party (LP) said in a press conference.
Explaining what the party considered a distort of information to the public and direct undermining of the judiciary, the Labour Party spokesperson said; “On 24th August 2023, while the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja was delivering its judgments in Appeal Numbers CA/OW/CS/200/2023 and CA/OW/CS/201/2023, to wit: Sir Basil Maduka v Labour Party & 2 Ors and Labour Party v Sir Basil Maduka & 2 Ors, respectively.
“Mr. Monday Mawah, a legal Practitioner, of Templum Solicitors, Abeokuta, Ogun State with representation in Abuja and who is not a counsel in the matter neither was he in court when the judgments were delivered.”
The party on whose behalf Pastor Obiora petitioned said he “went on air on Channels Television and falsely, maliciously and with intent to deceive, confirmed to the whole world that the decision of the Court of Appeal in the 2 appeals was that the purported Lamidi Apapa- led faction of the Labour Party was declared as the authentic leadership of the Labour Party.
Pastor Obiorah stated further that he claimed that “the Court had ordered that the names of candidates that emerged as winners in the purported primary election conducted by the Lamidi Apapa-faction be forwarded to INEC to be imputed as the Candidates of the Labour Party for the 2023 Gubernatorial elections fixed for later in the year.
In his prayers, Obiorah said “We call on the Committee to immediately commence the process of disciplining Mr. Monday Mahwah for infamous conduct infringing on the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct.”
Ifoh stated further that such infringement to wit; “Part V (Relations with Court) and Part IV (Improper attraction of business), especially Rules 31 (Duty of lawyer to court and conduct in court); 32 (candid and fair dealing), 33 (trial publicity), 39 (Advertising and soliciting) and 47 (Instigating controversy and litigation).”
He explained further in his speech that: “We are in a democracy and stringent opposition to our party’s candidates’ emergence is expected. We have not been left disappointed even if we have been a little surprised by the nature and provenance of these attacks.
“We are however surprised and taken aback that a member of the revered legal profession has thrown caution to the winds and has embarked on a voyage spread false news to bring both the bar and the bench to opprobrium.
“The said Mr. Monday Mawah falsely stated in the interview that the Court of Appeal had upheld the decision of the trial court, which the court never did.”
He said this was widely publicized and injured the integrity of the lawyer, the judiciary which authorised him to expose legal positions by virtue of his training.
“This utter falsehood as openly stated on live television by the said Mr. Monday Mawah was contrary to the decisions of the Honourable Court in its judgments in the appeals.
“In the Basil Maduka’s appeal, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja dismissed the appeal simplicita and held that the Appellant had no locus standi to institute the proceedings.
“In the Labour Party’s appeal, the Court held that the appeal was not necessary as the decision of the trial court was in its favour and that the mere comments of the trial judge in its judgement did not consist an appealable decision and should be discountenanced.
“In none of the 2 appeals did the Honourable Court proclaim the Orders that the said Mr. Monday Mawa had gone to town with and had impetuously proclaimed on live television to the whole world.
“Sir, it is quite unbecoming that a lawyer of Monday Mawah’s apparent ripe years at the bar should be allowed to continue to practice as a legal practitioner in Nigeria after putting out such riotous lies, which has now had the far-reaching ripple effect of painting the judiciary as a confused institution,” Ifoh stated.
