By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
The Supreme Court of Nigeria, has struck out a request by an Ebonyi state governorship aspirant, Senator Joseph Obinna Ogba, seeking it to review its final judgment of September 14, 2022.
The Apex Court had in the said judgement, upheld Chief Chukwuma Odii Ifeanyi as the governorship candidate of the PDP for Ebonyi state in the 2023 elections.
The judgement presided over by Justice Amina Augie struck out the request following the dramatic withdrawal of a motion to that effect by Chief Paul Erokoro SAN who was counsel to Ogba.
At Friday’s proceedings, Erokoro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria had attempted to argue for a prayer for the Supreme Court to review its earlier judgment which recognized Ifeanyi as the PDP governorship candidate.
However,following the mood of the Court, to the request, the Senior Lawyer dramatically withdrew processes filed on behalf of his clients when it became apparent that the Apex Court would not yield to the request.
Following the withdrawal, Justice Amina Augie struck out the request.
Before the withdrawal, counsel to Ifeanyi Chief Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria had vehemently opposed the request of the factional governorship candidate on the grounds that it constituted a gross abuse of the Supreme Court.
Uche who led a team of senior Lawyers in the matter, had prayed the Court to uphold its finality policy as the highest Court in the land, adding that any attempt to grant the request of Ogba will not augur well for the Judiciary.
The Senior Lawyer pleaded with the Apex Court to turn down the request on the grounds of being frivolous, unmeritorious, and a strange invitation that must not be honoured by the Court.
The Supreme Court had on September 14 in its judgment in an appeal SC/CV/939/2022 affirmed Chukwuma Odii Ifeanyi as the authentic PDP governorship candidate having emerged from a primary election conducted by NWC of the party.
The Court struck out an appeal on the grounds that the issue of nomination of candidates for elective office is an internal affair of political parties and that no court has jurisdiction to entertain it.
However, dissatisfied Obinna Ogba returned to the same court seeking a review of the September 14 judgment, but was withdrawn by his counsel.
