Imo guber tussle: Panel shifts to Abuja

Hearing in the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Imo State, which was fixed for today, January 5, in Owerri has been moved to Abuja.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, the Imo State capital, had on December 23, last year fixed the date. The party is challenging the verdict of the state election petition tribunal, which upheld the election of Okorocha of the All progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The party is also challenging the constitutionality and legality of the May 6, 2011 supplementary elections held in four local government areas of the state and Orji in the Owerri North Council Area. Chairman of the Appeal Panel, Justice Tijani Abubakar, had given indication of imminent ruling on the appeal to comply with the provisions of the electoral act, which will make it time barred by January 11, 2012.

The accelerated pace of the suit had triggered actions and anxiety in the state.
The state government has expressed concern with what it called subterranean moves by agents of the PDP to interfere with the course of justice, even as it expressed confidennce on victory based on “rule of law and justice.” The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Obinna Duruji, told Daily Sun yesterday that “any departure from the ruling of the lower tribunal based on law will amount to political fiat and will be against the grundnorms of the rule of law.”

Similarly, chairmen of the local government chapters of the PDP in the 27 councils have reiterated their support for their party, while disowning some party chieftains who they described as sell-outs. The case has divided the PDP in the state. Duruji, who is a lawyer and senior advocate in the Supreme Court of the United States of America has, however, expressed concern over certain developments in the judicial process, accusing he PDP of attempting to intervene and subvert the rule of law.

“We are concerned about the attempt to subvert the rule of law. They are orchestrating the stage for intervention in the process. If the law is anything to go by, we are not worried. We are worried about moves by the PDP to interfere; we’re worried about PDP’s high handedness. We know what happened in Sokoto and other states, we know about the Salami case.”

Unconfirmed reports, yesterday, indicated that the shift in the venue of the hearing from Owerri to Abuja was necessitated by the need to shield the appellate tribunal from pressures from the two parties to the suit.

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