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…Wants Explanation For Quick Delivery of Edo Election Case
A Legal Practitioner, Barrister Charles Ofoji has queried the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kekere Ekun over her continued delays in the hearing and determination of the suit challenging the imposition of State of Emergency Rule in Rivers by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Barr. Afoji in a letter despatched to the CJN challenged her to explain to Nigerians how she and her learned colleagues at the Supreme Court of Nigeria heared and decided the Edo Governorship appeals within one month it was filed but have failed to hear the Rivers emergency rule Suit filed before it since over three months ago.
According to the lawyer, the suit on the imposition of Emergency Rule in the state should have as a matter of fact be given top priority than any other case at the apex Court, accusing the CJN of refusal to hear the Rivers matter which he said should have been of utmost national priority not only raise suspicion of the complicity of the Court to truncate democracy in Rivers but also amounts to criminal official misconduct.
“Yes, it is also official misconduct that is teetering on criminality. Yes, it is a criminal offence for a public officer to wilfully refuse to perform a duty required by law,” the lawyer stated.
He called on the CJN to use the weekend to reflect on the matter stating that the apex Court by refusing to urgently determine the constitutionality of President Tinubu’s action of removing the democratically elected Governor of state and other elected members of the state parliament and installing a retired military as a sole administrator, the apex Court has denied the over 7 million Rivers people any form of representation in a democracy.
He wondered why the same Supreme Court Justices that heavily frowned on state Governor’s controlling local government funds would refused to take up their responsibilities in the Rivers emergency rule suit yet allowed what he described as an unknown alien to control, spend the resources and take decisions that will affect the destinies of the people and that of generations unborn. “Madam CJN, by your refusal to hear this , are you asking the Rivers people who have really been law abiding to resort to self help and take laws into their hands? Yes, that is what it means,” Barr. Ofoji queried. The legal practitioner said he felt totally ashamed of the behaviour of the CJN, as unbecoming of one who took a solemn oath to uphold the law in all circumstances stressing that as a lawyer, he had taken enormous pride in the supremacy of the law since his tenage years.
