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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has joined its candidates for National Assembly seats in the 2023 elections to reject Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam as presiding judge over a case instituted against the APC candidates by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The reason for the APC joining its candidates to ask the Federal High Court judge to recuse himself from the case is because of its fear that they would not get justice from Daylop-Pam’s court.
The APC in a statement signed Darlington Nwauju, its spokesman, at the weekend described the court’s insistence on going on with the case “as highly reprehensible and a clear danger signal to the Nigerian Judiciary”.
The party said; “It is already in the public domain that all sixteen NASS candidates have via countless media briefings, oral submissions before the court through defense counsel and written protestations routed to the chief judge of the Federal High Court and the administrative judge of the Federal High Court, even to the chief justice of Nigeria, expressed total loss of confidence in Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam and asked that he toes the honourable path, by recusing himself in the said matter.
“You may recall that our party held a joint media briefing with the 16 National Assembly candidates on the 16th August 2022 begging the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Nigerians to intervene by advising Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam to recuse himself from hearing our matter. Our pleas have obviously fallen on deaf ears, as the response to our correspondence to the administrative judge dated August 8 2022, which was brought to the notice of the court, unfortunately, has amounted to pouring water on stone as Justice Pam has insisted on going ahead with the matter even in the face of very rowdy court sessions widely reported even by reputable electronic and print media.”
The APC spokesman further said; “On Friday 30th September 2022, expectedly and as a direct confirmation of our well publicized accusation against the said judge of having a relationship with the Rivers State Government, which, of course is injurious to our case, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam strangely ignored and jettisoned the cry for justice by the Rivers APC and has reserved for ruling, all motions/applications touching on this matter in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/127/2022, having refused defense counsel to move their motions, but instead on his own, adopted the said motions”.
The statement pointed out that Justice Pam’s action which came “even after the notice of discontinuance of appearance by counsel to the 3rd & 10th defendant, Emenike Ebete Esq and counsel to the 8th defendant, Promise Green Esq who stood in for Olua Esq, in protest against the obvious bias of Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam”.
It added; “The open boast by the PDP in Rivers State that no other political party in the state, especially the APC, will contest the 2023 elections, casts a serious doubt on the neutrality of this particular judge and his position on our matter confirms all our already expressed fears that we may never get justice from Justice Daylop-Pam’s court.
“This is a clear danger to democracy and an attempt to bring the judiciary into public opprobrium”.
The party therefore gave a notice that the judgment of Justice Daylop-Pam on the matter would be legally challenged.
“We reassure Rivers people that no amount of conspiracy can stop the APC in Rivers State from canvassing for votes and winning the forthcoming general elections as Rivers people will not succumb to one-party rule with eroding democratic ethos.
“Having already convinced ourselves by the sufficient facts of bias based on personal interest shown by Justice Pam, we have also approached the Appellate Court in order to get justice and defeat the devious plots of enemies of democracy in Rivers State”, the APC said.
