By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka in Abuja
In a sweeping judicial intervention, the Federal Capital Territory High Court has stopped the Imo State Government, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from interfering with the political activities of Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere in Ideato Federal Constituency. The interim injunction, issued by Justice K. Agunioye, sets the stage for a major legal contest over civic space, free speech and the limits of state power in Imo ahead of the next political cycle.
The court’s order, delivered this week in Abuja, specifically restrained the Imo State Government, the Inspector-General of Police, the State Security Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Imo State Signage and Advertisement Agency from blocking or disrupting any lawful gathering organized by the lawmaker and his supporters.
Also named in the order are the Chairmen of Ideato North and Ideato South Local Government Areas, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, and the Director of the SSS in Imo State. Justice Agunioye barred all of them, their agents and officers, from interfering with Ugochinyere’s constitutional rights to peaceful assembly, movement and expression.
The suit was filed by Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North and Ideato South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He sought protection against what he described as repeated attempts to frustrate his constituency engagements, rallies and campaigns under the platform of the Action Peoples Party, APP.
In clear terms, Justice Agunioye prohibited the defendants from stopping, barring, denying access to, sealing off, or otherwise preventing Ugochinyere and his supporters from accessing venues for rallies, processions, meetings, programmes and other civic activities within Ideato and across Imo State.
The judge went further to order the defendants to “stay clear” of any venue earmarked for the lawmaker’s activities. The directive effectively blocks the use of government or security machinery to frustrate such engagements while the substantive case is pending.
A second major plank of the ruling focused on campaign materials. The court restrained the defendants from destroying, dismantling, defacing, cutting down, removing or demolishing billboards and signage erected by Ugochinyere in Ideato North, Ideato South, and elsewhere in Imo State.
The prohibition also covers any attempt to provide security cover or logistical support for such destruction or removal. For many observers, this addresses a long-standing complaint by opposition figures in Imo that billboards and banners are routinely pulled down ahead of political events.
The court anchored its decision on constitutional grounds. It affirmed Ugochinyere’s right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and movement, including the right to erect lawful billboards and signage for constituency projects, civic communication, security awareness and political mobilisation.
The interim reliefs came against a backdrop of allegations that venues booked by the lawmaker and his supporters had been targeted for interference in recent months. Sources close to Ugochinyere said several meetings and outreach programmes had either been relocated at the last minute or faced heavy security presence.
By granting the order, the court placed all government authorities and security agencies on notice. No action capable of frustrating the lawmaker’s constitutionally protected activities should be taken until the court hears and determines the substantive application.
The Imo State Government sought to have the injunction vacated, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction and that the application was premature. Justice Agunioye rejected those objections and held that the protective orders must remain in force to preserve the subject matter of the suit.
With the government’s application dismissed, the interim injunction now binds the governor’s office, the police, the SSS, the NSCDC, the signage agency and the two Ideato council chairmen. Legal experts say any violation could expose the affected officials to contempt proceedings.
The court adjourned the matter to November for further hearing. Until then, the defendants are expected to comply fully with the terms of the order and refrain from any conduct that could undermine the lawmaker’s work in the constituency.
The ruling is already being described as a significant judicial check on the escalating dispute between an elected federal lawmaker and state authorities. It highlights growing tension over political space in Imo and the role of security agencies in regulating public gatherings.
Ugochinyere, speaking after the ruling, said his engagements are not political theatrics but part of his constitutional responsibility to constituents. “My meetings, rallies and constituency projects are about service delivery and direct engagement with the people. No government or security agency should stand in the way of that right,” he stated.
With the interim order now in place, attention shifts to compliance on the ground in Ideato. For Ugochinyere and his supporters, the court has handed them legal cover to continue their activities. For the Imo State Government and security agencies, the ruling draws a clear line: civic and political activities must proceed unhindered until the court decides otherwise.
