By Damola Emmanuel
An Umuahia-based lawyer is worried sick about the inability of the National and State Assembly Election Petition Panel, sitting in the Abia State capital, to release a true copy of its judgment to the parties concerned, eight solid days after it ruled in the petition over the February 9, 2019 senatorial election in Abia North Senatorial District.
The three-man panel headed by Justice Cornelius Akintayo had, on September 9, 2019, ordered a supplementary election within 90 days in eight wards in Arochukwu Local Government Area, as well as several polling units in Ohafia and Isukwuato LGAs where votes were cancelled during senatorial poll in Abia North Senatorial District.
In the election, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, also Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, defeated his closest rival, former Senator Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
While speaking with The Crest in the Abia State capital, Wednesday, the lawyer, Barrister Edwin Nkole Esq, averred that the delay in releasing the judgment may pervert the course of justice and corrupt the electoral process as it would not allow the parties in the case ample time to study the case ahead of any legal action that may be contemplated by any aggrieved party in the matter.
“It is clear that the delay in the release of the judgment is a deliberate attempt by the panel to sabotage the judicial process,” Barrister Nkole said.
“The normal thing is for the panel to make the judgment available to all parties in the matter not later than seven days from the date it was delivered. Today is eight clear days after the judgment and we are still waiting for the true copy.
“I suspect foul play in the entire process. And if my gut feelings are right, then, we may have a travesty of justice in the making. The delay will affect the legal actions of affected parties because there is a time frame outlined in the Electoral Act for the conclusion of the legal processes that may arise from an election petition.
“This is why we are appealing to the panel to do the needful and release the true copy of the judgment without further delay. This is necessary in the interest and for the deepening of our hard-earned democracy.”