As Peter Obi says he won’t hand-over to Uba until,


ABUJA—The Supreme Court yesterday refused an invitation by Senator Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State and Mr Peter Obi of Anambra State to stop today’s inauguration of their successors.

Dr Andy Uba is to take over from Mr Peter Obi as Governor of Anambra State this morning while Otunba Christopher Alao-Akala is expected to receive the baton of leadership in Oyo State from Governor Rashidi Ladoja.

But the apex court yesterday threatened that it would order both Andy Uba and his Oyo State counterpart, Alao-Akala to vacate office, if after examining the relevant laws, it was found that the tenure of office of their predecessors were yet to expire.

Governors Ladoja and Peter Obi of Oyo and Anambra States respectively had, separately, invoked the original jurisdiction of the Federal high court to pronounce on whether or not their 4-year tenure of office could expire on May 29, 2007 when they did not spend up to four years in office.
They came to court yesterday with a view to procuring an order stopping the inauguration of new governments in their respective states pending determination of their separate suits.

During hearing in the cases yesterday, the presiding judge of the Supreme Court panel, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu said that they would not issue any injunction stopping the inauguration ceremony scheduled to take place today.

Justice Katsina specifically said during hearing in Obi’s case: “this is a novel case. The swearing-in of anybody tomorrow (today) does not extinguish the res. If we decide that the appellant (Peter Obi) has a case, we will nullify the election in the state and whoever is sworn in will have to quit office.
“Parties are hereby directed to file their brief of arguments. This case will be heard on June 14, this year,” he added.

All other six justices on the panel concurred with the leading decision of the presiding justice of the panel.
In fact, one of them, Justice George Oguntade faced the contending parties in the case and expatiated on the position of the Supreme Court thus:

“You have all heard the panel chairman. Go and prepare your briefs very well. Your action predates the swearing-in, taking place tomorrow (today). Don’t entertain any fear that the res of your matter will be extinguished if there is a swearing-in tomorrow (today).

“If anybody is sworn in and we find out that you have a good case, the person will have to quit office.
“So all parties should be aware of that. We will not grant any injunction. We will not be stampeded to take any decision. Let the matter take its normal course. Everybody should file his briefs. That is our own stand-point,” he added.

In the meantime, Governor Peter Obi who was personally in court however said yesterday that he would only vacate the Government House today in view of the swearing-in of the new Governor, Dr Andy Uba but that he would not hand over government to him.


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