Imo Court’s verdict will haunt Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence ― Supreme Court Justice

A Supreme Court Justice, Chima Nweze has raised alarm over the Apex Court refused to review its January 14, 2020 ruling that sacked the Imo governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Emeka Ihedioha from office.

The Justice gave a dissenting judgement stated the Supreme Court should review its January 14, 2020 ruling that sacked Emeka Ihedioha from office.

Justice Nweze noted that the Supreme Court is permitted by law to overrule itself.

 “The reasoning in the judgment will sooner or later haunt our electoral jurisprudence,” Nweze said.

Noting the statement is just an opinion, Nweze said his argument is “an appeal to the brooding spirit of the law.”

Buttressing his argument, the lawyer said Uzodinma misled the apex court with the presented election results of the 388 polling units without indicating the votes polled by opposition parties.

He said the presented results can only be considered authentic if it indicates the number of accredited voters in the claimed polling units alongside the votes garnered by opposition parties.

Justice Nweze also recalled how Uzodinma admitted at the election tribunal that he hijacked the result sheets from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s officials and completed the result sheets by himself.

The Supreme Court ruling of January 14, 2020 declared the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Hope Uzodinma as the valid winner of the November 2019 Governorship election conducted in Imo state; ordering the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Emeka Ihedioha to vacate the office of the governor.

A seven-man panel of the Supreme Court on Tuesday decided on the application by Ihedioha’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) that the Court should review its judgement.

The panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad voted six-to-one, with the majority agreeing to dismiss the application.

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