www.newspunch.org/2015-eligibility-tension-as-jonathans-fate-uncertain-supreme-court-decides-in-48-hours/

VANGUARD –

Tension is mounting at the
Presidency and the core North over the court case
challenging the eligibility of President Goodluck
Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential election.
Competent sources said, last night, that the
Presidency was worried that the case could upset
its political permutations should the Supreme
Court rule against Jonathan running in the
election.

The main headache of the Presidency is that if the
apex court rules that its principal could not run in
2015, it would be difficult for the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) to organise another
National Convention to elect another candidate to
meet the deadline set by the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) said to be December
18, two days after the hearing.

The case was said to have been on the radar of
presidential minders believed to have also made
contacts to know how the case could go and the
justices to sit on it.

Meanwhile, Jonathan’s opponents, particularly
from the core North, it was learnt, were expectant
that the case would be decided against the
president having taken the oath of office twice for
the office.

Sunday Vanguard gathered from judicial sources
that top officials of the Supreme Court were aware
of the heightened interest in the case, slated for
hearing on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 and were
working hard to block undue access to the case
file.

The heightened tension, according to the sources,
manifested in unceasing enquiries over the
composition of the panellists to hear the crucial
matter.

Although the case was filed during the tenure of
the former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Aloma
Mukthar, the sources said there had been intense
pressure on the current CJN, who took over about
two weeks ago, to reconstitute the panel.
Those in support of Jonathan were said to be
rooting for a justice sympathetic to his cause to
head the panel while those who want the president
disqualified from running in the 2015 election,
favoured a neutral and fearless arbiter to preside
over the case.

A top judicial official confirmed that the CJN was
yet to re-constitute the panel to hear the case at
the close of work on Friday even though he was
aware that the case had been slated for hearing on
Tuesday.

The official said it was normal in a very crucial
judicial matter of that nature for the CJN to
interfere in the composition of the panellists to
ensure that justice is delivered to all the parties
concerned.

He said: “The eligibility case filed by some persons
against President Jonathan is a serious matter,
which the CJN has taken notice of and the normal
process of setting up the panel, a few hours to the
hearing, will be done.

“As at the close of work at the weekend, no panel
had been raised by the CJN and we believe that,
because of the sensitive nature of the matter and
the interest it has generated, the CJN will empanel
a team to handle it at the right time.
“This is not the first time such a case is coming
before the Supreme Court and there is an
established procedure for dealing with such
matters.

“In a case of this nature, the CJN might want to put
in neutral justices in the panel taking into
consideration where they come from, their
maturity, objectivity, and how they have handled
similar critical assignments in the past.

Anxiety
A northern politician from Kano State, who has
been campaigning against Jonathan’s presidency,
said he was hopeful that Jonathan would lose the
case and return power to the North, ”where the
presidency is supposed to be following the death
of Umaru Yar’Adua.”

But a PDP governor, who spoke to Sunday
Vanguard, last night, expressed optimism that the
president had the right to run for second term,
having merely completed the tenure of the late
president before seeking a fresh mandate in
accordance with the Constitution of Nigeria.
“Obviously, I don’t think there is anything to worry
about as far as this case is concerned,” the
governor said. ”There is no law that says that
Jonathan should not run in 2015 and that is it”.

The anxiety over the case follows the declaration
by INEC that the different parties must submit to it
the names of their candidates for the 2015
elections in the shortest possible time as stipulated
by the law.

The commission said, last night, that it was
awaiting the parties to forward to it lists of
candidates and their running mates where
necessary.

But it said it will only recognize candidates that
emerged from primaries supervised by its officials,
warning politicians who conducted parallel party
primaries not to approach it with any list. Mr
Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC
Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who spoke in a
telephone interview with Sunday Vanguard, said
the electoral law was clear on the time frame, and
asked all parties to rectify their problems where
necessary with a view to forwarding their
candidates to the electoral body.

It will be recalled that the Supreme Court had
okayed the appeal filed before it by a chieftain of
the PDP, from Adamawa State, Dr. Umar Ardo, for
hearing on a day Jonathan insisted he was legally
qualified to contest the 2015 presidential election.
The president, through his lawyer, Mr. Ade Okeaya-
Inneh, SAN, told the court that he had cited legal
authorities backing his re-election bid.
He argued that Ardo had no case against him,
insisting that he is permitted by the 1999
Constitution to go for a second tenure in office.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/eligibility-question-jonathans-ambition-hangs/?fb_action_ids=10152662571899545&fb_action_types=og.comments

FP thingz

I guess na high tension.
Btw, yu rodents of APC, I know wats in ur minds but ur plans to see that GEJ does not contest will come to vanity cos he will not only contest but make ur rebranded Buhari cry again come 2015.

GEJ till 2019.

Section 137 (1)b clearly stated that one is disqualified to contest for office of the president if he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections..So I don't see any reason to panic because GEJ has not been elected in any two previous election..

North fightg on all fronts from blacmail, propaganda,threat, sabotage to bh and court yet GEJ is soaring to unprecedented height.
come Tues. Suprm. Court rulg wl favor jona, up jona!

[size=15pt]Just give me GEJ[/size]

CyberWolf:
Section 137 (1)b clearly stated that one is disqualified to contest for office of the president if he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections..So I don't see any reason to panic because GEJ has not been elected in any two previous election..

This one below is the problem, never mind the pedestrian reasons above:

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date, when -

135.2 (a) and (b)
(a) in the case of a person first elected as President under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of office; and

(b) in any other case, the person last elected to that office under this Constitution took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such Oaths.

Which yeye tension? Judiciary that has been compromised,verdict will be in GEJ favour, no be new thing

The Judiciary Are Yet To Get Full Autonomy As A Third Arm Of Government,
This Raise The Issue Of Compromise.

He who pays the piper calls (must know) the tune!

Another test for the need to separate the office of the MoJ and the AG.
Another litmus test for the need for judicial autonomy.

Adminisher:



This one below is the problem, never mind the pedestrian reasons above:

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of four years commencing from the date, when -

135.2 (a) and (b)
(a) in the case of a person first elected as President under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of office; and

(b) in any other case, the person last elected to that office under this Constitution took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such Oaths.

so?
I do not get your logic.
GEJ vacated Yaradua's office in 2011 and ran for his first term.
His first term ends in 2015 and he wants to have another.

Make the court leave am ooooooooo.
Because he will do anything even if Nigeria collapse to remain in aso rock.


Make we temper mercy and patience till 2015 and vote him out.
Buhari for President

Ok o

W t f abeg make dem leave oga jona
















lyk seriously!! nl nw ban 4 space booking 'i typed kk on a thread of buhari 'and I was banned ,na wa ooo

all na noise, the threat has nothing behind it.na today APC start to show them self?, any man with common sense will see crystal clear that GEJ has beared the flag for the presidency only but once, and this is the second time, APC keep fooling yourself, GEJ tiil 2019

That one na wash. Jonathan will win in 2015, but with much smaller margin.
As usual, APC wins all the online polls and has all the online comments, then they neglect the south and expect to win.

North n middle belt = 80% APC
West = 50% apc
East n South = 0% APC - And they've got like 50% of the posts

Old newz!!!

.

I won't comment, if it's GEJ matter.

lol

Wait

Lol

Like honestly,does any body sincerely believe the Apex court will deliver judgement against Jonathan..please.

k

Haba Dis One na News?

With d High level of Corruption in D Judiciary?

Just a Little exchange of "Ghana must go Bags" tonight.

ok

Abeg make dem let him contest nau, he is destined to lose cum next year
Team Gmb

D tory too long oo....And person wan make FP....Wetin I go comment now....

stebell:
I guess na high tension.
Btw, yu rodents of APC, I know wats in ur minds but ur plans to see that GEJ does not contest will come to vanity cos he will not only contest but make ur rebranded Buhari cry again come 2015.

GEJ till 2019.

Your brain is empty

Dollars go suffer again. But wait ooo, why do I like killing mosquitos even when they didn't offend me. Maybe its because stealing isn't corruption.