The Chief Judge of Abia State was on Monday, May 23, 2023 urged to call Justice Benson Anya to order as his meddlesomeness in the affairs of the  All Progressive Congress, Abia State chapter is capable of truncating the smooth and democratic journey towards the 2023 General Elections. 

Expressing concerns over the state of affairs in the party,  members of the APC, under the aegis of Concerned Abia State APC Stakeholders petitioned Abia State Chief Judge alleging that Justice Anya had made himself a willing tool in the hands of one of the factions of Abia APC bent on obstructing due and democratic process in the affairs of the party.

In the petition  dated Monday, May 23, 2022, and addressed to  'The Chief Judge, Abia State Judiciary, Judiciary Headquarters, Umuahia', the Concerned APC Stakeholders stated inter alia: "For the past one (1) year or more, Justice Benson Anya has made himself a tool in the hands of Chief Ikechi Emenike, whereby he has been churning out judgments and rulings from his Court, most of them contrived, in order to protect the interests of Chief Ikechi Emenike and Hon. Nkeiru Onyejeocha, in the tussle for the soul of the APC in Abia State.

"Most of these judgments and rulings from Justice Benson Anya’s Court have gone as far as arresting ongoing proceedings in other High Courts or rendering nugatory judgments already delivered in favour of interests not favorable to Chief Ikechi Emenike and his group"

The petitioners explained that there are two (2) factions of the APC in Abia State. One faction  led by Senator Chris Adighije with Hon. Acho Obioma as State Chairman  and the other faction led by Chief Ikechi Emenike, Hon. be Kingsley  Ononogbo as State chairman. 

The petitioners further alleged that in various litigations involving the two factions, Justice Anya rather than play the role of an unbiased umpire, entered into a sustained romance with the Ikechi Emenike/Kingsley Ononogbo-led faction, a development which has frustrated 'a fair and just democratic process in the selection and choice of APC candidates for the forthcoming 2023 General Elections'

"We will on request make available a schedule of these judgments and rulings, which often times Justice Benson Anya has denied the general public access to Court records, even on application", the petitioners affirmed 

The APC Concerned Stakeholders further appealed to the Chief Judge  to apply full disciplinary measures on Justice Benson Anya, but if unable to do so, to   control his excesses by "applying strictly the extant judicial directives handed down by the National Judicial Council and your lordship’s office to all presiding judges in Nigeria, including Abia State"

They further affirmed that they "...will no longer tolerate any act of meddlesomeness by Justice Benson Anya in any guise whatsoever, in the activities of the APC in Abia State, using the device of his office. We will stop at nothing, including dragging him to the National Judicial Council, civil rights and human rights organizations and even the court of public opinion on his activities towards truncating the smooth and democratic journey towards the 2023 General Elections. 

"We sincerely hope that your lordship will act swiftly by drawing Justice Benson Anya’s notice to this letter and checking his excesses, in the interest of the citizens of Abia State, especially concerned APC members who bear the brunt of his illegal actions", the petitioners stated in the petition signed by Mr Cosmos Ifegwu and Surv. Festus Egbulefu