Obi goes to Supreme Court

ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU, Awka


ANAMBRA State governor, Mr Peter Obi yesterday headed for the Supreme Court to challenge Appeal Court’s decision, declining jurisdiction to hear the governor’s matter over his tenure.

Since the ruling, a cross section of Nigerians have been reacting to the judgment. Governor Obi, who already asked the people of the state to go about their lawful businesses, vowed to pursue the case to its logical conclusion. Our investigations revealed that his lawyers have already filled a notice of appeal and are warming up at the Supreme Court.

Personal Assistant to the Governor on Media, Valentine Obienyem, confirmed the development to Daily Champion, saying the governor would do all within the law to ensure that his tenure was properly interpreted.

Meanwhile, mixed reactions have been greeting ruling of the Court of Appeal. Commenting, Barrister Emilia Enemuo, a legal practitioner based at Onitsha disagreed with the decision of the Court of Appeal saying: "The Court of Appeal erred in law. It did not answer the prayers of Governor Obi but chose to hide under the cloak of jurisdiction.

Clearly, by virtue of Section 251 of the Constitution, the Federal High Court has powers to handle that matter. It is mysterious that a simple case of constitutional interpretation is now transformed, by some magical formula, into an election matter. The question now is: which tribunal are they talking about? Is it the one that was since wound up or the one already set up that do not have the powers to even hear Obi’s case? If the court says that individual should approach it to set up tribunals when their rights are threatened, then we will soon have millions of tribunals in the country."

Attorney General of Anambra State, E.D. Chukwuma said "the issue His Excellency went to court for determination has not been determined, rather each court is running away from that. I hope we will get to a court that will not run away."

Barrister Keyinde Olagosonye is equally of the opinion that the Court of Appeal erred and by extension "has abdicated its responsibility."

Besides whether the Court of Appeal was legally right or wrong, the people of Anambra are aggrieved because they expected a favourable judgment for Peter Obi over which Christians in the state have been praying and fasting. The mood in the state was that of gloom until Governor Obi told them in a broadcast that the decision of the Court of Appeal was not the final in the issue.

Speaking to our correspondent, Michael Joe Onwudinjo, a businessman based in Awka said, "Mr. Obi is the duly elected Governor of Anambra State who has shown belief in the rule of law. The Constitution says he has four years out of which he has spent one. I do not understand while the simple prayer that his tenure be interpreted is unnecessarily clothed into technicalities, thereby delaying justice. If anything happens to his tenure, we shall hold the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal responsible. Do they realize that if Obi does not get justice, Anambra State will be sent to hell, especially considering the characters threatening to take over, even without elections?"
Reacting to the ruling, Engr. Anthony Akpulu described it thus: "I am not a lawyer, but the decision is against the emerging trend as expounded by the likes of Justice Alfa Belgore, that technicalities should not be allowed to clog the wheel of justice. If I understood Governor Obi, he is asking for the interpretation of a section of the Constitution and not whether he is validly elected or not."