Civil society groups are currently protesting at the embassies of the United States and United Kingdom respectively in Abuja, demanding a visa ban on all seven members of the Supreme Court panel that delivered judgment in the Imo State governorship election case that produced Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress as winner of the exercise.
The panel including Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mohammed Tanko, has in its ruling on January 14 nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, arguing that several valid votes due Uzodinma during the exercise were not counted and credited to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to the protesters at the US and UK embassies, the judiciary cannot continue to give judgment that undermines the nation’s democratic process.
The group under the aegis of Coalition in Defence of Democracy and Constitution led by Ariyo Dare Atoye, said that democracy would no longer be the same again in Nigeria with the conflicting ruling of the Supreme Court.
He added that the trust of the people in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man had been dashed and Nigerians would no longer have confidence in the Supreme Court.
He said, “The justices who delivered the Imo judgment and their families should be placed on visa restriction to serve as deterrent to others.
“The justices are Tanko Muhammad, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Sylvester Ngwuta, Olukayode Ariwoola, Amiru Sanusi, Amina Augie and Uwani Abba-Aji.”
SAHARA
