A consortium of human rights lawyers has pointed fingers at the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the leadership of Governor Hope Uzodimma, alleging their involvement in orchestrating baseless accusations…CONTINUE READING....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
These accusations were leveled by the APC zonal vice chairman for the South-East, a known supporter of the governor.
The purpose of these false allegations was to undermine the reputation of the distinguished judges of the Appeal Court, who were convened for the first time in Lagos without prior acquaintance.
These judges were tasked with adjudicating appeal cases stemming from the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Imo State.
The lawyers, who expressed their concerns during a press conference led by Barr. Tijani Ahmed at the Appeal Court complex in Lagos, called attention to the suspension of the Imo petitions’ hearing due to the unfounded allegations of corruption brought forth by the APC zonal vice chairman.
They argued that this action underscores the heightened desperation of Imo APC under Uzodimma’s leadership.
The lawyers questioned how a seasoned attorney, Echezona Etiaba, could collaborate with such individuals to tarnish the judges’ integrity when they knew the content of the petitions was false.
They were particularly troubled by the audacity of accusing a respected member of the legal profession, Damian Dodo, SAN, of attempting to bribe judges on behalf of one of the Appellants, even though Dodo had no involvement in the case for any of the parties.
The concerned groups urged the President of the Appeal Court to remain vigilant about the presence of agents of Uzodimma within her office, who appeared determined to undermine the judges and manipulate the Appeal Court to legitimize what they referred to as “electoral malfeasance” in Imo.
It is worth noting that the newly constituted Appeal Court panel was scheduled to begin hearings in Lagos, but surprisingly, during the proceedings, the APC, represented by their lawyer, Echezona Etiaba, SAN, submitted a petition accusing the judges, who had just convened for the first time on Monday morning.
The accusations ranged from corruption and bribery to the judges’ alleged political affiliations from PDP-controlled states.
