The Enugu High Court has adjourned the Nwobodo court case to October 22, 2026, after former Anambra State Governor Jim Nwobodo changed his legal team, delaying proceedings in the land dispute with Dr. Basil Ogbuanu.
Nwobodo Court Case Adjourned Following Change of Defence Counsel
The Nwobodo court case suffered a major setback on Thursday as the Enugu High Court adjourned proceedings to October 22, 2026, following the sudden replacement of the legal team representing former Anambra State Governor, Chief Senator Jim Nwobodo, and other defendants.
Justice C.C. Ani granted the Nwobodo court case adjournment after the defendants’ newly engaged counsel filed fresh court processes, making it necessary for the plaintiff’s legal team to study and respond to the new applications before the matter could proceed.
The dispute, filed as Suit No. E/328/2026, involves prominent Enugu businessman Dr. Basil Kenechukwu Ogbuanu as plaintiff against Senator Jim Nwobodo, his wife, Barrister (Mrs.) Patricia Nwobodo, and seven other corporate and individual defendants over a land and property dispute.
Fresh Legal Representation Halts Proceedings
At Thursday’s sitting, the court was informed that the defendants had formally disengaged their former counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Iyom A.J. Offiah of Obra Legal.
The defendants have now retained Chief C. Chuma Oguejiofor, Esq., of Chuma Oguejiofor & Co. (House of Law), Enugu, to lead their defence.
Upon taking over the Nwobodo court case, Oguejiofor withdrew all processes earlier filed by the previous defence counsel on July 6, 2026, replacing them with a fresh set of applications, affidavits and preliminary objections filed on July 16, 2026.
The development effectively halted proceedings scheduled for Thursday.
Plaintiff Seeks Time to Respond
Counsel to the plaintiff, Onyechi Araka, raised no objection to the defendants’ constitutional right to engage a new lawyer.
However, he urged the court to grant an adjournment to enable his team carefully examine the newly filed processes and prepare an appropriate response.
Justice Ani agreed that the interest of fair hearing required sufficient time for the plaintiff to respond and consequently adjourned the matter until October 22, 2026, when all pending applications will be heard.
Defendants Seek Dismissal of Suit
Among the fresh applications filed by the defence is a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the competence of the suit.
The defendants are asking the court to set aside the service of the originating processes or, alternatively, strike out or dismiss the entire suit, arguing that it is fundamentally defective and amounts to an abuse of court process.
The objection, brought under Section 86(6) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and relevant provisions of the High Court Rules of Enugu State 2020, contends that the originating processes were not properly served on the defendants.
The defence also criticised the plaintiff’s pleadings, describing them as unnecessarily lengthy, imprecise and lacking clarity.
Defence Cites Earlier Pending Suit
The defendants further argued that the present action substantially duplicates an earlier case already pending before the court.
According to the preliminary objection, Suit No. E/244/2025, filed by Dr. (Mrs.) Patricia Nwobodo & Anor. vs. Dr. Basil Ogbuanu, involves substantially the same parties and subject matter.
The defence also maintained that necessary public officers, including the police, were not joined in the suit despite their alleged relevance to the dispute.
Additionally, they argued that the action is statute-barred under Section 9(1) of the Actions Law, Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004, and that mandatory pre-action notices were not served on the affected public officers.
Supporting Affidavit Filed
A supporting affidavit accompanying the preliminary objection was sworn by Chidinma Edeh, a litigation clerk at Chuma Oguejiofor & Co.
She stated that she had the authority of the defendants to depose to the affidavit relating to the change of counsel and the preliminary objection.
Attention Shifts to October Hearing
With both legal teams now preparing their respective arguments, attention has shifted to October 22, 2026, when the Enugu High Court is expected to hear the preliminary objections and determine the next phase of the Nwobodo court case.
The outcome of the pending applications is expected to shape the direction of the high-profile land dispute involving the former governor and the Enugu-based medical practitioner.
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