Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja
A former governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, has finally approached the Supreme Court asking it to set aside its own judgment, which removed him and declared Senator Hope Uzodinma as the governor of the state on January 14.
Disclosing this yesterday at a press conference in Abuja, the immediate past Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ndukwe Nnawuchi (SAN), said the former governor is seeking one-relief – that the apex court should set aside its judgment, which nullified his election.
Nnawuchi said the former governor and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier put together a team of legal experts to study the judgment and advise them on the next line of action.
“The team of legal experts has advised them to approach the Supreme Court for review of its verdict and based on that advice, we filed our case at the Supreme Court today,” he said, adding: “We are asking for one-relief – asking the Supreme Court to set aside its judgment. The details of our argument are contained in the papers we filed.”
He confirmed that Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), along with over 30 senior lawyers are representing Ihedioha and the PDP in the matter.
The former Attorney General also stated that the team was ready to file affidavit of urgency that will ensure that the application is held urgently.
He expressed hope that Ihedioha will get justice at the end of the day.
The apex court had in a unanimous judgment delivered on January 14, removed Ihedioha on the grounds that he did not win majority of the votes cast in the March 9 governorship election.
The apex court in its decision said Ihedioha was returned as governor of Imo State based on wrong computation of the election results in the state.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the court voided the concurrent decisions of the tribunal and Court of Appeal, which had declared Ihedioha winner of the poll on the grounds that they both failed to take into account votes from 388 polling units in the election.
According to the apex court, the concurrent judgment of the lower court erred in law when it excluded votes totaling 213,295 from 388 polling units from the total scores at the election.
Justice Kekere-Ekun said that the lower court misconstrued the case of the appellants that he was challenging the validity of the election whereas he was challenging the unlawful exclusion of votes in the 388 polling units.
In addition, the court held that the excluded votes from the 388 polling units be ascribed to the appellants.
Consequently the apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Ihedioha and issue a fresh one to candidate of the APC, Uzodinma, on the ground that he won majority of lawful votes cast at the election.
