Hearing in the appeal filed by Francis Ibezim that would have resolved the actual winner of Imo North senatorial bye-election held on December 5, 2020, took another dimension on Tuesday as the All Progressives Congress (APC) petitioned three members of the panel of justices accusing them of plotting to pervert justice.
The development at the Supreme Court on Tuesday led to indefinite suspension of hearing of the appeal challenging the concurrent decisions of both the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court that disqualified Francis Ibezim from participating in the election for an alleged certificate forgery.
Prior to the December 5, 2020 Imo Senatorial bye-election the electoral umpire the Independent National Electoral Commission had stated that it would not recognise either Francis Ibezim or Senator Ifeanyi Ararume as candidate of the APC in the said bye election until the conflicting Court judgements served on it is resolved.
It however, went ahead and declared APC winner of the bye election after the party scored the majority of the lawful votes cast.
When the appeal was called for hearing on Tuesday, Musa Dattijo Mohammed, who led a five-man panel of justices, informed counsels in the matter that the proceeding will not go on as scheduled.
He said the interim chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Governor of Yobe State Mai Mala Buni had written a petition against him and two other justices, Helen Ogunwumiju and Abdu Aboki accusing them of having a meeting with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to subvert justice in the case.
He said the APC alleged, that “my humble self had led my two brothers to attend a meeting with members of the PDP to strategise how to subvert the outcome of this case.”
“I must say that this is most unfortunate and my heart bleeds for this country,” he said.
“If people as highly placed as the interim chairperson of the APC would open his mouth and make this weighty statement against innocent justices of this court, then I say my heart bleeds.
“We are not interested in any matter and I challenge him and the party to substantiate his allegation that my humble self attended a meeting with members of the PDP with a view to subverting the interest of their party.
“This is a reckless and irresponsible statement. That is how these useless statements were made in the past and that is why we are not taking it likely.
“If they have honour, let them substantiate their allegations and I will not leave a day longer in this court.
“So, this matter is adjourned sine die, and parties should approach the chief justice of the federation.”
Responding, Ahmed Raji, counsel to Ifeanyi Ararume, senatorial aspirant, said he was shocked to hear about the allegations made against the justices.
“This is very shocking. I swear with my last day in this court that I Ahmed Raji knows nothing about this issue and I condemn it with all the strength in me,” he said.
“I sympathise with your lordships and whatever measure your lordship deems appropriate, we are fully in support.”
Umeh Kalu, counsel to the APC said he was just hearing of the petition for the first time.
“I am taken aback by this. I have never in my life met with the interim chairman of the APC,” Kalu said.
“In matters of this nature, we normally deal with the legal adviser.
“In the first place, PDP is not a party in this matter.”
Ararume and Francis Ibezim, both members of the APC have been in a legal battle in a bid to become the senator representing Imo north senatorial district.
INEC had declared APC as the winner of the bye-election but refused to announce any person as the authentic candidate of the party on the grounds of conflicting court orders for and against the two major contenders.
However, Taiwo Taiwo, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, on March 18, ordered INEC to issue Ararume with the certificate of return.
The suit before the apex court is that which seeks to upturn the judgment of Inyang Ekwo, federal high court judge, and that of the court of appeal which nullified Ibezim’s candidature on the grounds that he made false declaration in the documents he submitted to INEC.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor of Yobe State Mala Mai Buni to resign his position following the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, which describes the leadership of the party as “irresponsible and reckless”, for engaging in unsubstantiated allegations against the justices of the Supreme Court.
The PDP said it is appalling that the Mai Buni leadership of the APC could go to the extent of falsely accusing the justices of the Supreme Court of holding meetings with PDP leaders allegedly to subvert justice, in a case, in which the PDP is not even a party.
According to the PDP, the pronouncement of the Supreme Court has ultimately vindicated its stand that the APC is “a party of irresponsible, reckless and dishonorable persons, who only thrive in fabrications, falsehood, lies, blackmail and character assassination”.
In a statement Tuesday by National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said that it is shameful that after mismanaging its nomination process in the Imo North Senatorial bye-election, the APC leadership is seeking to drag the PDP into its attempt to use the instrument of blackmail and character assassination against the justices of the Supreme Court to settle internal scores.
“While it is obvious that the APC is plagued with political cannibalism, infighting and backstabbing, it is shocking that it will carry its wild tendencies to this ridiculous extent.
“The assertion by the Supreme Court that “if people as highly placed as the interim chairperson of the APC would open his mouth and make this weighty statement against innocent justices of this court…” places a huge moral burden and integrity question on Governor Mai Buni.
“Our party holds that the declaration by Supreme Court that the APC has been making such “useless statements” in the past further vindicates our stand that the APC is ethically challenged and should not have been entrusted with governance.
“Our party therefore demands that Alhaji Mai Buni should immediately resign as governor and APC chairperson, having been indicted by the Supreme Court, after which he should face the court to answer for his baseless and “irresponsible” allegation.
“Furthermore, the PDP charges the APC to leave our party alone and face its self-inflicted woes in the courts,” the party said.
