Ahead of Tuesday’s Supreme Court review on Imo governorship election, a Third Force Movement, consisting of eminent academics and organised civil society have commended the apex court for its decision to review its controversial ruling of March 9, 2019, on Imo governorship election.
The group says it has engaged the services of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof. Pat Utomi, leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the international community and various civil society groups to help monitor the Tuesday Supreme Court review to forestall further irregularities in the state.
In a joint statement issued, in Abuja, on Sunday, the group described as a ‘mark of maturity’ the decision of the apex court to review its earlier ruling, adding that such step would go a long way in dousing the political tension in the state.
The press statement was signed by the group’s spokesperson, Dr. Olusegun Awe One and made available to the media.
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The statement further hailed the international community and concerned Nigerians for their diplomatic vigilance and interventions on the survival of the nation’s democracy by rising up to the occasion.
The group earlier averred that apart from the total valid votes which the apex court based its ruling which, however, exceeded the total accredited voters by INEC, Sen. Hope Uzodinma might also not have fulfilled the constitutional requirements for a validly elected governor of the state, having failed to score at least one-quarter of the votes cast in each of the at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.
It condemned the observable “double standard” by the Apex Court by earlier declaring Uche Nwosu the authentic candidate of APC in the state and declaring Sen. Hope Uzodinma winner who is also a candidate of APC, a development it said has remained contradictory.
The leaders also asserted that the judgment completely overthrows all known judicial precedence and electoral jurisprudence in Nigeria, insisting that its reversal by the Supreme Court will prevent the precipitation of a major uprising and anarchy in Imo capable of overwhelming security and stability in the entire southeast.
It, however, charged the people of Imo state and entire southeast to remain calm and hopeful, expressing optimism that the Apex Court will do justice to the matter during its review on Tuesday.
Other persons engaged by the group to monitor the review are former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), Adm. Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), Mr. Femi Falana, Comrade Shehu Sanni, Oby Ezekwesili, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Alhaji Balarebe Musa, amongst others.
