A/Ibom PDP flays Appeal Court’s delay in ruling on election petitions

The Akwa Ibom state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad and other relevant authorities to prevail on the Appeal Court in Calabar to deliver judgement on election petitions brought before it by the All Progressive Congress (APC) challenging the outcome of February 19 National Assembly

elections.

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The two seats in contention before the Appeal Court in Calabar are Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District won by Senator Bassey Albert, Uyo and Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency won by Rep. Unyime Idem all of the PDP.

Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Thursday, the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong faulted the delay in delivering judgement by the Appeal Court, Calabar after all the parties have concluded their arguments and addresses.

“The facts are that the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar over the appeal field by Bassey Etim, Emmanuel Ukoette and the APC against the judgements of the election petition tribunal delivered in favour of Senator Bassey Albert and Unyime Idem respectively, was adjourned for judgement on October 15, upon conclusion of hearing and adoption of briefs. On the said date, the panel arrived the court premises, but did not sit.

“However, the registrar of the court announced in open court that judgment in all the cases on the cause list for that day will no longer be delivered without any further explanation,” he said.

Ememobong explained that such judiciary lacuna must be addressed by concerned authorities such as the National Judicial Council (NJC), the international community and chief justice of Nigeria.

“As a party and defendant in these matters, we find this situation very awkward and therefore, invite the attention of the international community, the National Judicial Council, chief justice of Nigeria and civil society groups to the existing anomaly as regards these cases.

“It is trite law that after the adoption of briefs by parties and a court adjourns for judgement on the next adjourned date, it is obligatory for the court to deliver judgement on the matter, except where things arise that make it impossible for the judgement to be delivered.

“In such exceptional cases, all the parties must be informed of such supervening circumstances. In the instant case, there was no explanation whatsoever and there is till date, no explanation for the inability of the court to deliver judgement on these cases,” the PDP image-maker added.

Ememobong further explained that the PDP would have ignored the situation, but became worried when the opposition APC in the state rolled out the drums to celebrate the delay in expectation that another panel of judges would be constituted at the Appeal Court to do their bidding.

“We would have ignored the situation or second guessed that there were genuine reasons for the failure to deliver the judgement, but not for the sudden celebration in the camp of the opposition APC, evident majorly on the social media accounts of APC media aides and supporters clamouring that they have caused a change in the panel to sit and hear the appeal and that the new panel is set to deliver judgement in their favour.

“We are therefore, very suspicious of this newfound jubilant mood which as conveyed by the opposition APC, is predicated on their report of a new panel by the Court of Appeal whose mandate is to deliver judgement in favour of the APC,” he averred.

He emphasised that elections in the affected constituencies were won fair and free by Sen. Bassey Albert and Rep. Unyime Idem with APC candidates trailing miserably far behind and wondered why the Court of Appeal being a creation of law to protect and uphold the democratic governance can become a vehicle for the subjugation of the popular will freely manifested through the ballot.