Real Test: February 2010

I always knew this would happen.

Soludo Wins at the Supreme Court! The Supreme Court has vacated the order barring the Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Soludo from parading himself as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner in the February 6, 2010 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja yesterday refused to vacate the interim order it granted, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise Soludo as PDP candidate for the poll. It further restrained INEC from recognising the former CBN governor as the PDP candidate until the issues surrounding the ticket are finally resolved. But this morning, the Apex Court vacated order given by the lower court.

In the ruling prepared by Justice Mary Odili but read on her behalf by Justice Oyebode Lokolo-Sodipe, yesterday, the court restrained Soludo from parading himself as PDP governorship candidate and from doing anything that would overreach the court. Two other justices on the panel namely Abdul Aboki and Olukayode Bada concurred with the ruling.

The court also granted an accelerated hearing of the suit, saying the appellants had established that the reis (subject matter of the case) needs to be preserved. Justice Odili said: "The matter is before us, anyone that does anything; that would be an action in futility."

INEC has already precluded Soludo from the list of cleared candidates it released for the poll at the close of time for change and substitution of candidates last week. Soludo seems to be in a difficult situation as the Supreme Court, which he will apply to, to vacate the order of the appellate court is going on Christmas break on Friday and will resume in January, meaning the matter has to wait till then. But following INEC's time-table for the election, all processes leading to the poll will end on January 7.

That may be unfavourable to PDP and Soludo.

Soludo’s lawyer, Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), made strident efforts to get the court to vacate the interim order to no avail. PDP’s counsel and National Legal Adviser, Olusola Oke, also made serious efforts to save Soludo by saying that notwithstanding that the court had the power to issue the restraining order; sufficient materials were not provided by the beneficiaries of the order.

Consequently and in less than 10 minutes after the ruling was delivered, PDP filed a notice of appeal at the registry, saying the appeal court was in error to have reached a decision not to vacate the interim order. The party said if the evidence was weighed properly, the court could have come to a different conclusion on the application.

The Supreme Court had last Monday asked parties to the appeal to return to the lower court to have a decision before it could hear them. The apex court simply asked parties to conclude all issues with the appeal court and come back to allow for an organic approach to all the issues relating to the nomination and resolving them once and for all, saying there was no time to waste The appellants namely Mr. Valentine Ozigboh, Mrs. Victoria Nwankwo, Mrs. Nkoli Imo and Mr. Ferdinand Okoye, all PDP governorship aspirants in the state had adopted their written addresses for the court to deliver yesterday's ruling.

Parties had also appeared at the Supreme Court to argue an appeal filed by Soludo challenging the interim order by the appeal court, which restrained him from parading himself as the party’s candidate pending the determination of the appeal. In their appeal, the PDP aspirants had challenged the ruling of Justice Danlami Senchi of the Abuja High Court, which struck out their suit and discharged an earlier restraining order on INEC from recognizing Soludo as a candidate for the election.

They asked the appellate court to set aside the judgment of the lower court and remit the case back to the high court for a de novo trial by a new judge. But the Abuja high court had on October 23, 2009 made a preservative order restraining Soludo from parading himself as the candidate of the PDP in the said poll pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

However, after reviewing the submissions of counsel, the court reversed the restraining order it earlier made, stressing that the complained action (nomination of Soludo) was already concluded and his name forwarded to INEC, before the plaintiffs sought and secured the restraining order in the first place.

Justice Senchi specifically noted that the alleged illegality by PDP was perfected on the 9th of October, 2009, while the suit that culminated in the restraining order was instituted on October 21 and the order granted on October 23, this year.

Meanwhile, PDP has said with the restraining order by the Court of Appeal against Soludo, the party is technically excluded from contesting the governorship election.

Addressing newsmen at the party secretariat after the order, the National Legal Adviser of PDP, Oke said: “What is happening now is that we have laboured under illusion because no date has been fixed for the determination of the substantive suit and with this restraining order, PDP is technically excluded from February 6, 2010 governorship election.”

However, he added: “As a political party, we cannot take this lightly and that explains the reason why we have just launched an appeal at the Supreme Court against the ruling this afternoon. This is because unless we obtain an order for stay of execution from Supreme Court, PDP will suffer irreparable damage even if the appeal is eventually determined in our favour. “PDP which is constitutionally empowered to sponsor candidate and participate in the election would have been permanently deprived unless we can obtain an order for stay of execution.

” The Soludo Campaign Organisation, however, said the court has played directly into the hands of its detractors who wished to delay the party’s candidate. Chairman of the organisation, Chief Okey Muo-Aroh, who addressed a press conference in Awka, said it was surprising that a court of law would exercise jurisdiction in a matter the parties had nothing to lose.

“I think the Court of Appeal has played into the hands of our detractors who believed that the only thing left for them is to apply the ‘Atiku Option’ and delay Soludo as much as they can, knowing that there is no way they would be candidates given Supreme Court decisions on such matters.

“The Soludo Campaign Organisation wishes to declare that it respectfully disagrees with the ruling of the Appeal Court today (yesterday) which re-affirms its earlier instructions to INEC not to recognise the candidacy of Prof Chukwuma Soludo/Emma Anosike. PDP must have its candidate for the February 6, 2010 election.

The sustained delaying of the judicial resolution of this matter for the PDP certainly gives unfair advantage to the other 24 political parties whose campaign activities are unimpeded,” Muo-Aroh said.

http://www.elombah.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2433:newsflash-soludo-is-pdp-candidate-supreme-court&catid=3:newsflash&Itemid=57

[size=20pt]GOD IS GOOD. SHAME TO ALL UBA SUPPORTERS!!!!![/size]

Come what may, PDP will never win Anambra State.

I don't know who Soludo's campaign organiser is.

SOLUDO SHOULD IMMEDIATELY GIVE A LIVE NATIONWIDE TELEVISED SPEECH ON PARTY INTERNAL DEMOCRAY, HOW HE EMERGED WHICH MAY NOT BE BEST PRACTICE BUT HOWEVER LEGAL BECAUSE IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PDPD CONSITUTION AND ALSO MORAL BECAUSE AT THE TIME PDP WAS IN A POLITICAL LOGJAM.


There is a lot of misinformation going on, Soludo must tackle it head on. He should also challenge Ngige, Obi, Andy Uba to a live televised debate on how they all emerged and whose process of nomination was the fairest.

Enough of this ONE RULE FOR SOLUDO, another set of different RULE FOR OTHERS.

[size=20pt]Hurrayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/size]

THIS IS VICTORY FOR RULE OF LAW OVER MISGUIDED PUBLIC OPINION.


THE UBA FAMILY DYNASTY ARE HEADED FOR A POLITICAL END GAME, ANAMBRA PEOPLE SHOULD SMELL THE COFFIN AND PUT A FINAL NAIL ON THE COFFIN OF THE UBAS.

on aburi we stand whether the UBAS LIKE IT OR NOT

I don't know why folks can't simply see that the reason Soludo is being purnished by the Ubas is because he has vehemently rejected the idea of signing any agreement of how to share Anambra Treasury.

Sometimes its difficult to figure our what Nigerians want

but wait ooo.

Ndu_chuks,
Is that elombah.com that I am seeing as your source?

All this soap-opera drama just 2be governor.
WTF is wrong with Anambra.

god is good

Supreme Court Saves Soludo
December 17, 2009 15:07 (11 minutes ago), 9 views
The country’s apex court, Supreme Court, this afternoon saved the governorship ambition of Professor Charles Soludo, former Central Bank governor, by voiding the ruling of the Appeal Court baring him from contesting the 6 February, 2010 governorship election in Anambra State.

Delivering ruling this afternoon, the Supreme Court ruled that the Justices of the Court of Appeal erred in law by voiding the nomination of Soludo as the governorship candidate of the PDP.

The five-man Supreme Court panel, led by Justice George Oguntade, therefore, set aside the order of the Court of Appeal which restricted INEC from recognizing Soludo as the PDP governorship candidate in the 2010 election.

The apex court noted that the order granted by the Court of Appeal yesterday was misplaced and most unwarranted and ordered INEC to accord Soludo every privilege and recognition due to him as the candidate of PDP.

The court ruled that the appelate was not right in making the preservative order it made. It described the order as furious in that the subject matter of the case “is time sensitive.”

The apex court also stated that the order did not avail Soludo a level playing ground.

The Court of Appeal yesterday ruled that Professor Soludo was not validly nominated by the party and therefore INEC should not recognized him as the PDP governorship candidate for the Anambra election.

The order followed an application filed by three PDP governorship aspirants, Mr. Valentine Ozoigbo, NKoli Imo and Ferdinand Okoye.

With the Supreme Court ruling today, the coast is now clear for Professor Soludo to contest the February 6 governorship election in Anambra State.


Source:The PM news

Too bad for our democracy!!

it is victory for common sense

biggjoe:

but wait ooo.

Ndu_chuks,
Is that elombah.com that I am seeing as your source?

biggjoe, i understand ya concern. na de only place wey i find de information when i post de tory be dat. na somebody wey dey for court when dem issue de ruling inform me, so i know say de news accurate otherwise i for no post am. as the tory still new, i no find any other publication to give una as link.

e be like say other agencies don dey carry de news now.

paddy_lo:

*NEWS UPDATE******Anambra 2010: Supreme Court okays Soludo as PDP candidate
By Our Reporter Published Today News Unrated
The Supreme Court today restored former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Chukwuma Soludo as standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 6, 2010, Anambra State Governorship Election.

Quashing the Court of Appeal's order restraining Soludo from parading himself as his party's candidate, Justice George Oguntade held that the appellate court errer in making the order when its jurisdiction was being challenged.

Justice Oguntade held that the court could have made such an order when it was yet to determine whether or not it has jurisdiction to hear the appeal.

"The law is that the issue of jurisdiction must first be treated before a court can make any order, he said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web2/articles/29288/1/NEWS-UPDATEAnambra-2010-Supreme-Court-okays-Soludo-as-PDP-candidate/Page1.html

Did this woman Mary odili pass through Law School at all?

Abi she buy her certificate

I wonder who even  nominated such a nonentity for appointment to the appellate court. oops, ^{I forgot she is Peter Odili's wife.} _{ordinarily someone like her should be a charge and bail lawyer}

I dont understand, Two threads already made the homepage telling us soludo lost again.Did he lose at the supreme court?

The truth is that there is an extent to Chris Uba's gra gra

The guy think everybody na him mate.

He want make professor sign agreement with am on how to chop Anambra money and then make a whole professor follow am go shrine go take oath before him go chill.

Uba no sabi say levels pass levels

Quite embarrassing for Justice Mary Odili.
She is only good at issuing orders restraining EFCC from arresting and prosecuting her husband,Peter Odili.Thats the climax of her law knowledge.

~Bluetooth:

I dont understand, Two threads already made the homepage telling us soludo lost again.Did he lose at the supreme court?

Check the dates the threads were created and you will understand

you will find that on the first post on the thread.

besides the Supreme or Apex court is the last bus stop.

1luvkipsus:

Too bad for our democracy!!

wat do u expect?   na 9ja we dey na   where the democracy n d whole nation has turned to ball n football pitch(old trafford n stamford bridge)  
God will visit them _{thats my prayer}  

jodeci:


Quite embarrassing for Justice Mary Odili.
She is only good at issuing orders restraining EFCC from arresting and prosecuting her husband,Peter Odili.Thats the climax of her law knowledge.

na 9ja we dey na

jodeci:


Quite embarrassing for Justice Mary Odili.
She is only good at issuing orders restraining EFCC from arresting and prosecuting her husband,Peter Odili.Thats the climax of her law knowledge.

Even Justice Mary Odili does not believe in her own ruling, that is why herself and her two other colleagues handling the case were not on hand to deliver the Judgement.

They passed it to someone else to deliver.

The question is why did she make that decision to grant such an order in the first place.

mikeansy:

Even Justice Mary Odili does not believe in her own ruling, that is why herself and her two other colleagues handling the case were not on hand to deliver the Judgement.

They passed it to someone else to deliver.

The question is why did she make that decision to grant such an order in the first place.

Now that the coast is clear for Soludo,lets all join hands to ensure he ascends government house in Awka next year.

I just like the guy.

jodeci:

Now that the coast is clear for Soludo,lets all join hands to ensure he ascends government house in Awka next year.

I just like the guy.

n in return he will introduce a new currency in Anambra.

jodeci:

Now that the coast is clear for Soludo,lets all join hands to ensure he ascends government house in Awka next year.

I just like the guy.

What I love most is his demeanour when under attack.

He has been accused of Polymer Scandal and all kinds of fraud in their quest to blackmail . . . .thanks to Sanusi may God bless him he has helped to quash those claims.

His father has been kidnapped in this process
There has been all kinds of cynical attacks and ligations against his candidature.

Yet Soludo is still cool headed and has not been knocked off his stride. He has the heart, grit and still of a Leader.

I hope Anambra will judge him fairly like others and not have a set of special rules for Soludo and another set of rules for others.

This is present situation of soludo,others on the frontpage are misleading.Wonder what those mods are doing!

Sunny_bobo:

[size=20pt]GOD IS GOOD. SHAME TO ALL UBA SUPPORTERS!!!!![/size]

I second you ma brother

2015

Fashola - President
Soludo - VP

under the umbrella of a mega party.  

mikeansy:

What I love most is his demeanour when under attack.

He has been accused of Polymer Scandal and all kinds of fraud in their quest to blackmail . . . .thanks to Sanusi may God bless him he has helped to quash those claims.

His father has been kidnapped in this process
There has been all kinds of cynical attacks and ligations against his candidature.

Yet Soludo is still cool headed and has not been knocked off his stride. He has the heart, grit and still of a Leader.

I hope Anambra will judge him fairly like others and not have a set of special rules for Soludo and another set of rules for others.

"Charles Soludo is a true Nigerian. He is the sort of Nigerian that we all know we can rely on. Among his numerous virtues is COURAGE. I have found in him a man who can take tough and realistic decisions, stand his ground, educate others on the salience of his decision, and work very hard to ensure that the decision is efficiently and effectively implemented. His dedication to duty is first rate. His leadership qualities are admirable and his willingness to listen and learn is simply infectious.

Professor Soludo has within a short time emerged as one of the leading lights of our nation. Not because he has a godfather but by sheer hard work, loyalty, dedication to duty, commitment to the nation, creativity, and undiluted association with the reform agenda, ”.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR (December, 2004)

Andy Uba and his chums should forget this battle.

If he really does not want Soludo at the helm of affairs then he should join forces with others candidates/parties.
That would be the only way to stop Soludo/PDP

ndu_chucks:

2015

Fashola - President
Soludo - VP

under the umbrella of a mega party.  

This insinuation that Soludo's race for Awka links to Abuja is unfounded.

The man is running for nothing but Guber elections please. Lets allow him focus on Awka first.