UMEADI V. UZODIMMA: WHO’S RIDING THIS ASS OF A LAW?
By Ugochimereze Chinedu Asuzu
The law, they say, is the bedrock of society: No known thing has more effect on everyday living than it. Rightly or wrongly, this view held sway, and has continued to becloud the politics and of course the polity of Imo State.
The Supreme Court judgment of January 14, 2020 sent chills down the spine of every politically alive Onye-Imo. One may be pushed to acclaim: if the law is an ass depending on who is riding; who rode that ass? It is another January, and Ndi-imo has a date with the highest court of the land, by inference, once again a date with history.
Today being 10th January, 2021, is the eve of the day set aside by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, to hear the appeal brought to it by one Barrister Philip Umeadi, a learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a former staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, against the present governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, against the backdrop of the issue as it concerns the seat of government of Imo state.
The hub and nub of this action is simply a judicial interpretation as to the implication of an earlier nullification of the candidature of Mr. Uche Nwosu for “double candidacy” for being both the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Action Alliance (AA) taking into cognizance the nullification of the governorship of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and in his stead the declaration of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the duly elected governor, under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), a platform, which already a judgement has been entered as having a candidate for that same election, in the person of Ugwumba Uche Nwosu, whom likewise in that said judgement was found culpable in the act of double candidacy, as such rightly disqualified on that basis.
The facts of the case is roughly that, Ugwumba Uche Nwosu and Hope Uzodimma were products of parallel APC congress and were declared winners. Uche Nwosu went further to contest as the candidate of the AA and was later declared the rightful candidate of the APC and as such disqualified by the Supreme Court for Double candidacy. In a show of political abracadabra the Supreme Court in its judgment of January 14 2020 declared Hope Uzodimma the winner of the elections under the platform of the APC even after it has stated without mincing words that the candidate of the APC is Uche Nwosu. As such, the legal luminary is asking the hallowed court of justice to make right this anomaly. This is hinged on the time cherished axom that justice should not just be done but should be expressly and manifestly be seen to be done.
In common sense application, under the known dictum in law and jurisprudence, which infers that one cannot place something on nothing, in this extant example, there was no measure of vacancy on the gubernatorial platform of the APC at that election for Senator Hope Uzodinma to have been returned as governor, a platform which automatically has been ceded to Uche Nwosu, as no single political party is allowed by the electoral laws of the land to feature or sponsor two candidates in same position during an electoral contest.
Therefore, the anticipated judgement of the supreme Court in the matter before it, which its hearing is slated for tomorrow, is automatically viewed by political pundits to offer veritable grounds for the Supreme Court to redeem it’s already battered image, which was dealt a big blow as a result of the skewed judgement it entered against the candidate of the PDP at that election, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, who was duly returned by INEC as duly elected, and was subsequently sworn in, and barely seven months in office was removed from office via a judgement of the supreme Court that generated a lot of controversy, shock and outcry of Ndimo, Nigerians and the world in general.
Subsequently, the onus lies with the supreme Court justices to do justice as seen appropriate, fair, rightful and just. In order to not only to redeem itself from what has been adjudged by a cross section of Nigerians as a travesty of justice of the highest order, which has grossly poured aspersions on the hallowed integrity of the Supreme Court of Nigeria since then. This justice it is hoped will reintereate the aphorism that the court is the last hope of the common man;
Finally, a greater percentage of Ndimo will leap for joy, if the man they freely voted and elected as governor in that election, who is no other than, Rt. Hon. Emeka Nkem Ihedioha, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is recalled back to continue the rebuilding process he was already making headway with, before he was rudely and unceremoniously removed from office, in a most questionable and brazen manner.
We pray for the needed courage on the part of the justices who will seat in judgement over this matter, in order to adjudicate on it without fear or fervour, rather upholding the principles, ethics and ethos of their profession, with the view at delivering a judgement that is like Caesar’s wife, above board and beyond reproach and that would enable posterity to meet them at the right side of history.
Thank you, God bless
# LetsRebuildImoAgain!
Ugochimereze Chinedu Asuzu, is the Board of Trustees Chairman of I Stand With PDP