The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused a Federal High Court judge in Port Harcourt , Rivers State, Justice Emmanuel Obile of judicial abuse and rascality.
The APC spokesperson in the state, Darlington Nwauju, accused the court of partiality as it alleged that Justice Obile twists judgment to favour the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.
The APC, therefore, called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola to investigate the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court which the party says has been busy delivering conflicting judgments that have painted the judiciary in Nigeria in a very bad light and questioned the integrity of judges.
“Our fears are not imaginary as the high courts in the Port Harcourt Division seem to have ignored judicial precedence in delivering some of these rulings.
“We recall public pronouncements made by the PDP that no other party shall be contesting against its candidates in Rivers State and we have subsequently seen the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt delivering all sorts of judgments in favour of the PDP,” the statement added.
“A ready example is the judgment delivered against the APC on the 25th of October 2022 wherein Justice Emmanuel Obile assumed jurisdiction over the case brought against the APC by the PDP and disqualified all candidates of our party even when our candidates were not parties to that suit.
“Curiously, same Justice Emmanuel Obile dismissed the suit brought against the PDP by the APC in suit No. FHC/PH/CS/162/2022 & FHC/PH/CS/163/2022, claiming that the Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain our complaints against the governorship candidate of the PDP and the 32 House of Assembly candidates of PDP while in another breath.”
“The same court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Obile assumed jurisdiction in the case brought against the APC and its candidates in Suit No FHC/PH/CS/149/2022 and FHC/PH/CS/152/2022 and disqualified all the candidates of our party on the grounds that the PDP had the right to challenge the processes leading to the nomination of our candidates. What a double standard!”
It, however, expressed hope in the ability of the CJN and the National Judicial Council to intervene, saying, “Our faith in the higher benches is unshaken and we believe that the Courts should not allow itself to be ridiculed by political actors as the rights of Rivers people to plural choices as guaranteed in multi-party democracy is being sabotaged.
“Finally, we believe in the incorruptibility of CJN Olukayode Ariwoola as the cases above cited qualify for judicial rascality and deserve immediate investigations by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to restore the image and confidence of the public in the judiciary.
“We also appeal to the CJN to resist all extraneous attempts to influence him over the constitution of panel(s) of the Supreme Court that shall be entertaining appeals over any of these Federal High Court judgements.”
