The Peoples Alliance and Indigenous Rights (PAIR), Society for Enduring Economic Democracy (SEED) and Initiative for Democratic Enthronement Action (IDEA) have warned against blackmailing the Supreme Court over the judgment on the Imo state governorship election that ousted Emeka Ihedioha as governor.
A statement by Emmanuel Chukwudi of PAIR, Nze Chukwuma of SEED and Nedu Okeke of IDEA, Sunday in Abuja, said though it is within the right of aggrieved persons to protest, nobody should decide what the law is.
“We are not unmindful of the futile attempts of some individuals and groups to pressurize the Supreme Court of Nigeria to reverse itself on its historic judgment of January 14, 2020 which ordered the immediate swearing in of Senator Hope Uzodinma as the legitimately elected Governor of Imo state.
“While we concede that it is within the right of those who feel aggrieved to protest, but it has become a dangerous enterprise as these persons have taken it upon themselves to decide what the Law Is!
“It should be stated that it is a fact that not all persons will be happy at every judicial pronouncements, but to attempt to insist and perjure the Hon. Justices of the apex court through deliberate blackmail, name-calling and subterfuge is a dangerous precedent that should not be allowed to fester.
“If the opposition were to be true sports people, they should accept the decision of the Supreme Court as final in the interest of the state they claimed to want to serve. Since the epoch judicial reversal of the usurpation of the peoples mandate, Imo state has remained peaceful, looking forward to progress and realizing the New Agenda programme of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma,” the statement said.
It further stated: “We will imagine that those who claimed that they want to serve the people are intent on causing public disharmony, promote dissention and encourage rebellion against not only a duly elected government, but to also disparage, impugn and cause the Hon. Justices of the apex court to be seen as enemies of the people. There is only One Enemy; those who are funding all sorts of campaigns to smear, tarnish and possibly overthrow social cohesion, damage economic prosperity and trample upon the rule of law.
“As the Supreme Court decides on the jejune appeal for a review of its decision, we implore the Hon. Justices to be careful not to set a dangerous precedent where all sorts of frivolous appeals will become the order of the day, wasting the Court’s time, taxpayers money and weigh down the system.
“The Hon. Justices have demonstrated only a few days ago that the law is no respecter of persons when just less than 7 hours to the swearing in of a new Bayelsa governor, it nullified their hard earned victory. That is courage!
“We expect no less that the hope that has berthed in Imo state will flourish, thrive and renew faith in governance by the Hon. Court standing firmly by its decision of January 14, 2020.”
