- Lawyers condemn move, want apex court to fish out those behind plot
There is public outcry over plots to shift the October 31 Supreme Court’s hearing date on the earlier judgement of the apex court which declared Hope Uzodinma as the elected Imo State Governor in 2020, to December 5, 2023
While constitutional lawyers have condemned the plot and wanted the apex court to fish out those behind the plot, which is alleged to be backed by huge financial compromise, it was uncovered that a retired Supreme Court staff was sharing money to the Court Registry staff to have the case shifted to December 5, 2023.
Some group of activists and lawyers, who uncovered the move, said the plot was to have the case fixed for December 5 after the forthcoming Imo State governorship election scheduled on November 11, 2023.
Recall that the Supreme Court judgement of January 14, 2020 had sacked Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governor of Imo State and affirmed Uzodinma as winner of the March 2019 election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Ihedioha winner of the election, but Uzodinma, who came fourth in the election, challenged the outcome of the exercise in court.
INEC results had indicated that Ihedioha, who ran under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 273,404 votes in the election; Uche Nwosu of Action Alliance (AA) had 190,364 votes; Ifeanyi Ararume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 114,676 votes while Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 96,458 votes.
However, in a unanimous decision, a seven-man panel of Supreme Court Justices ruled that Ihedioha did not win majority of votes cast in the election and ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the then governor and instead give a fresh one Uzodinma.
While Supreme Court dismissed earlier appeal by Ihedioha that it lacked powers to sit on appeal in its own judgment, there is a similar action before the apex court filed by the AA candidate, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, slated for Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
A group of lawyers and activists led by Comrade Barr. Maxwel said the current move to change the date was to avoid the consequences that awaits the Governor Uzodinma if the “erroneous judgement” is corrected before November 11 as he will be striped of state apparatus to manipulate the November 11 election in his favour or stay in power.
According to them, “heavy bribe offers and fake security reports are behind the fresh move to abort the October October 31 date for hearing of the over three years pending application at the Supreme Court to resolve the fraudulent and criminal emergence of Uzodinma as Governor of Imo state from a distant 4th position to first position.”
The group of activists and lawyers jointly said in a statement that leading coordinating staff of the Supreme Court heading the offensive and sharing bribes from Imo among the court staff is one former head of litigation, who is retired but works with the court as technical assistant.
They alleged that, “The fresh move which have seen actors receiving millions and proposing a new date on December 5, 2023 by which time the Imo Governorship election would have held. The staff is putting pressure on Supreme Court staff to withdraw the October 31 date and reissue a new hearing notice for December 5, 2023 to help Uzodinma contest the upcoming election with the hope that it will help render the pending application dead if he is re-elected.
“This case which will resolve and give effect to the Supreme Court earlier Judgement in Uche Nwosu vs APC where it ruled that APC and AA had no valid candidate by virtue of Uche Nwosu double nomination would have seen the Supreme Court returning Ihedioha to his position since the APC never had a candidate at the election and Uzodinma was an imposter candidate. Many Nigerians didn’t know the reason the USA placed visa ban on the Supreme Court Justice was not because of the 4th to first position declaration but the two conflicting judgement where in one hand they ruled that APC had no valid candidate and few days after they ruled Uzodinma of APC is a Governor.
“This case pending at Supreme Court offers the court a last minute opportunity to redeem its name locally and internationally and end the eternal hunt the judgement will keep hunting the apex court with the potential of causing the loss of faith and collapse of constitutional governance which is rooted in an independent, fair and just adjudication.”
The group added that: “We condemn in strong terms this evil plot by Uzodinma and his forerunners to shift the judgement to buy time for him to perfect the injustice which we currently enjoys it and validate it by using state apparatus to fraudulently secure a second term.
“We call on all lovers of democracy and rule of law to rise to the occasion and nip this evil in the bud and let the will of the people prevail through an honest judicial process. It is the desperation and fear that he would be shown the way out that Uzodinma is employing such ploy to let this mother of all judgement be shifted.
“Democracy will be under threat, judiciary will be the worst hit and Nigeria will become a laughing stock in the comity of nations if Uzodinma is allowed to have his way. And we will not rest until the planned aberration is aborted before it consumes us as lovers of democracy and rule of law.”
