The Eminent Leaders’ Group has expressed their readiness to mobilise some leaders of conscience to monitor the Supreme Court’s review of its judgment that sacked Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State.
They said they will mobilise the leaders to monitor the review which has been slated for Tuesday at the apex court.
The spokesman of the group said to have been initiated by the Third Force Movement, Nigeria, Dr Olusegun Obe, disclosed this in a press statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
Obe listed those to be mobilised to include Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka; Prof Ben Nwabueze (SAN), former Head of State, Gen Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.); Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Bishop Mathew Kukah and Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu.
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Others, according to the statement, are Solomon Asemota (SAN); Prof Pat Utomi; Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN); Mr Femi Falana (SAN); Senator Shehu Sanni; Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili; the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association and the international community among others.
According to the statement, the purpose is for the eminent Nigerians “to help monitor the judicial review on Imo governorship elections coming up on Tuesday at the Supreme Court.”
The group however commended the apex court for its decision to review what it called “its controversial ruling” on the election which it claimed has raised serious questions about the present state of the nation’s judiciary.
The statement read,
“The decision of the apex court to review its earlier ruling is a sign of maturity and openness by the judiciary that will go a long way to calm frayed nerves and douse the heightening political tension in the South East and the country at large.
“The group also hails the international community and concerned eminent Nigerians for their diplomatic vigilance and interventions respectively on the worrisome Supreme Court’s judgment on the 2019 governorship election in Imo State, a ruling which has since caused ripples among Nigerians over the survival of democracy and peace in South East and Nigeria at large.”
It will be recalled that the body had previously averred that apart from the fact that the total valid votes, which the Supreme Court based its ruling on, exceeded the total accredited voters Senator Hope Uzodinma may also not have fulfilled the constitutional requirements for a validly elected governor of having to score at least one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.
READ ALSO: Imo: Uzodinma Urge Supreme Court To Reject Ihedioha’s Apeal
The group also raised the question of double standard in the Supreme Court judgment, saying,
“If their Lordships have already declared Uche Nwosu as the validly elected candidate of APC, it is then illogical to again declare Hope Uzodinma as the validly elected governor on the platform of same APC, since there’s no provision for an independent candidate in the Nigerian constitution.
“Since, it’s not possible to build something on nothing; it may amount to approbation and reprobation on the part of the apex court to declare Uzodinma whose candidature of the APC has been initially rendered a nullity.”
The group charged the people of Imo State and the entire southeast to remain calm and be hopeful, expressing the hope that the Supreme Court will do justice to the matter during its review on Tuesday.
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