By GOC NWADIKE
The Apex Court in Nigeria, the Supreme Court, Thursday, put to an end all litigations arising from the Presidential election of February 26th 2023 which returned Ahmad Bola Tinubu as President.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi had gone all the way from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) to the Supreme Court to challenge the INEC's declaration of Ahmed Tinubu the President-Elect for which he was sworn on May 29th.
Both contenders (Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi) lost at the PEPT, and today, lost again, and final for that matter, at the Supreme Court, thereby bringing all issues against the Presidential election of eight months ago to a final end.
Delivering their judgments, one of the justices at the chamber, Justice Okoro stated that there must be an end to litigations surrounding any election.
Bringing home to our dear Imo state the position of Justice Okoro on this matter, it was a matter of worry to most Imolites watching some people making trends last week about the Supreme Court's announcement of date for a case between Barr. Umeadi and Ugwumba Uche Nwosu for October 31st in its first release.
Although the date was later moved to December 5th, many had predicted and promoted their opinions for and against the parties, as well as raising their permutations on who and who would benefit or lose from the outcome of their expected judgements.
Whichever way one may want to pursue his or her target, what should be upper most in our hearts as Imolites, is that the continued distraction, (which the Supreme Court's date announcement is to Ndimo), is not in anyway profiting the state.
"There should be an end to election litigations"
It was here in Imo State that a certain Jude Agbaso was elected as Deputy Governor of the state. Agbaso was eventually removed from office in what the court described as illegal.
Yes, Agbaso was the dully elected Deputy Governor. Agbaso's removal was also "illegal", according to the court, but Agbaso could not be returned to the office because his case had become time barred.
"There must be an end to election litigations".
Barr. Umeadi who was, and is not in the APC, not from Imo state, and not a governorship aspirant of the APC in Imo state, had sought the Supreme Court's explanations on it's judgement of an APC's pre-election case in Imo since 2019.
While I'm not a trained lawyer to discuss the place of Locus Standi of the appailant on this case which had been in the Supreme Court without listing for close to four years now, I sincerely agree with Justice Okoro that there must be an end to election litigations.
Ndimo are already gearing up for another governorship election in the state come November 11th, 2023; an election that is expected to launch the second term in office of His Excellency, Sen. Hope Uzodinma on January 14th, 2024.
Secondly, Ndimo have also initiated, resolved and sealed agreement on the Charter of Equity, an understanding which allows Orlu zone that currently occupies the Imo seat of power through Gov. Hope Uzodinma, to round off its well deserved second term in 2027/8, and then hand over to another zone.
This Charter can not be destroyed again, and Imolites can no longer be distracted at this stage to continue to anticipate a change of government in Imo through the Supreme Court. There must be an end to election litigations.
As it's already obvious through the achievements and success stories of the present administration of Gov. Hope Uzodinma in the state, and so many other things working for him, Imolites are all in agreement through the numerous endorsements from groups and collapses of political parties and structures in the state, that Gov. Uzodinma should continue through a seamless election process to his well deserved second term.
It is therefore unreasonable and unattainable for anyone to continue to expect a Supreme Court's judgement that would decide our fate again in Imo other than going to the polling booths on 11/11 to affirm the second term continuation of His Excellency, Gov. Hope Uzodinma.
Aligning with the recent position of the Imo Information Commissioner, Hon. Decland Emelumba on the SC's December 5th date, Ndimo have nothing to worry about. There's no cause for alarm.
And certainly, there must be an end to election litigations to enable leaders concentrate on delivering good governance.
GOC NWADIKE writes from the Imo Media Engagements Centre, Imo Government House, Owerri.
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