Rivers Election: PDP Begs CJN For Special Intervention

The Peoples Democratic Party has sought for the intervention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, on what it described as “present and imminent miscarriage of justice” with regards to Rivers state Governorship Election Tribunal judgement.

Acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus

The main opposition party in a letter through its lawyer, Godwin Obla (SAN) to the CJN stated that the PDP had been denied access to the Certified True Copy of the judgement of the state election petition tribunals that sat in Abuja which had annulled the electoral victory of some of its candidates.

The PDP’s letter which was dated October 28 and a copy sent to the National Judicial Council, read in part: “While we appreciate the peculiar demand of time that may have necessitated such near crippling judicial adventure having to deliver a total of 12 judgments within a space of six hours in a day, it is, however, utterly worrisome that the judgments as pronounced in the open tribunal on the said October 26, 2015, in respect of the two reference petitions above merely pronounced on the award of reliefs without any allusion as to the requisite decision and judicial reasons thereof.

“While one may reasonably attribute the tribunal recourse to such brevity to the exigency of time, it however, falls grossly short of legal requirements mandating the court or tribunal to clearly state the legal principle and decision arrived therefrom upon which the judgment is based, just as it is applicable to the hierarchy of courts where such mode of judgment is countenanced by law, i.e, at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

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“Our worry over the above became more heightened when upon our written application to the tribunal for the CTC of the judgment or in the alternative, a CTC of the hand written judgment to be made available to us, to enable us decide on the required step as promptly as possible, in view of the limited time frame for any subsequent step to challenge the judgment, same was bluntly turned down by the registry of the tribunal as it questioned the visibility of acceding to the grant of the CTC of a document it has no access to even as it also equally raised the issue of directive to the tribunal in the open court that no such request could be acceded until three days after the judgment.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in Rivers state had slammed Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP for trying to blackmail the judicial with the hope to get favourable judgement from the Court of Appeal.

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The party in a signed statement by its spokesman, Chris Finebone, noted that Wike had thrown caution overboard by taking on Justice Mohammed Ambrosa, through making disturbing comments through  his media aides.

The APC statement stated: “The PDP, through one of the online publications called www.trentonline.com published a fake story titled, DSS Offered Bribe, Threatened Me, Then I Was Sacked From Rivers Tribunal – Justice Pindiga. This fake news story was designed to give credence to the accusation by Wike when his spokesman, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, stated that the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal chaired by Justice Mohammed Ambrosa, had given the ruling he was asked to give.” The online medium also reported that Justice Pindiga said that the DSS threatened him leading to his sudden replacement as the Chairman of the Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal by Justice Mohammed Ambrosa. The APC notes with relief that Justice Muazu Pindiga has since denied making any such statement or granting any interviews whatsoever to anyone as published.

“Following the decision of the Supreme Court in dismissing Wike’s appeal  on jurisdiction on Tuesday, Governor Wike has unleashed further virulent attacks on the eminent jurists of the apex court when he stated the following through his media adviser, Opunabo Inko-Tariah: “What is going on right now can best be described as judicial gang-up against Governor Wike, nay the people of Rivers State. It is an affront on democracy and a blight disregard for the will of the people in the April 11 general elections. The courts are setting pernicious precedents by hinging their verdicts on inane points. Rivers people overwhelmingly gave their mandate to Governor Wike but a microscopic few want to wrest that mandate from him through the back door.”

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