By Mokwugwo Solomon

Group, PDP Stakeholders Forum, in Nnewi North local government area of Anambra state, has dragged some chieftains of the party to court over alleged conspiracy and defamation of character.

In a hearing at the Magistrate's Court of Anambra state in the Nnewi district, yesterday, the plaintiffs, Prince Chinedu Orizu, Hon Tempest Udeze, Dr Edwin Chukwuma, Prince Afam Orizu and Chief Eugene Okonkwo Nwizugbe, alleged that the defendants: Engr Joseph Ubah, Obinna Oguejiofor, Chinedu Ikemba, Chijojke Ofodile, Moses Anayo, Isaac Uchebuilo, Prince Samben Nwosu and Ernest Ajero, conspired among themselves to criminally defamed their characters.

In a twenty paragraph affidavit, the complainants alleged that the defendants, who are also members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Nnewi North local government area, went about in Nnewi, Abuja and other places, calling them criminals who go about defrauding innocent citizens in the name of the party; adding that all the allegations levelled against them were false.

Lead counsel for the complainants, Pascal Ugwuanyi, told the court that the 1st and 7th defendants, Joseph Ubah and Samben Nwosu respectively, could not be served, and prayed the court to grant leave to the plaintiffs to effect the service of court process on them through substituted means.

The presiding magistrate, H.C Emekwue, ordered that the 1st defendant be served by pasting the process at a conspicuous place within the court premises; while the 7th defendant should be served through the defendants' counsel, Mrs M.N. Emecheta. He adjourned the matter till July 21, 2020, for continuation of hearing.