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Imo Verdict: CSO Alleges Use Of Same Panel To Review Judgement

Published

6 years ago

February 17, 2020

A civil society organisation (CSO), Concerned Nigerians Group (CNG), yesterday, alleged that the Supreme Court was making moves to use same panel that gave the judgment on the Imo State Governorship Election in favour of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Hope Uzodinma, to review the same judgment, tomorrow.
This alleged move by the apex court was contained in a statement signed by the Convener, CNG, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, who also called for holistic review of the judgment.
According to Adeyanju, “CNG berates the apex court for putting itself in a position where citizens would now have to question its judgment, making the revered institution to been seen by Nigerians as fallible”.
It would be recalled that Supreme Court had sacked the main opposition candidate, the PDP in the 2019 general election in Imo State, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, and replaced him with the ruling APC’s candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma.
The statement reads in part, “We have been reliably informed that the Supreme Court is going to use the same panel that was used to carry out the injustice in the first place to review the judgment.
“They’ve decided to fix both Zamfara and Imo review on Tuesday so they can strike a political balance, and no amount of political correctness and expediency can solve the injustice done in Imo where the Supreme Court awarded votes that do not exist to the APC.
“How can the apex court explain how it awarded votes to Hope Uzodinma of APC beyond the number of registered voters and accredited voters in the election?
“The Supreme Court relied on the supposed fake result sheets that had only APC and PDP on the results sheets when 70 political parties contested the election.
“The attempt of the apex court to redeem its image by gifting the opposition in Bayelsa State will still not correct the injustice done in Imo. The irreducible minimum the Supreme Court can do in ensuring that justice is done in Imo is to ensure that the mistake done by the judges be corrected, especially as regards the numbers that are not adding up.”
According to the statement, Senator Hope Uzodinma, who came a distant fourth with 96,458 votes with no clear chances of being declared winner, was surprisingly declared winner by the Supreme Court.
“In the election, INEC had declared Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner with 273,404 votes, ahead of Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA) with 190,364, and Ifeanyi Araraume of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with 114,676. In a distant fourth was Hope Uzodinma of the APC with 96,458”, it added.
However, the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has filed a preliminary objection to challenge the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to review its January 14 judgement that brought him to power.
In a motion he jointly filed with the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uzodinma, maintained that the apex court has lost its powers to hear and determine any application relating to the governorship election that held in Imo State on March 9, 2019.
Consequently, he urged the court to dismiss the fresh application that was filed by ousted governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha and the PDP, which is seeking to set aside the judgement that declared him as the valid winner of the Imo governorship contest.
In the objection dated February 6, which Uzodinma filed through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Damian Dodo, SAN, he contended that Ihedioha’s application, “being a proceeding relating to or arising from election of a governor is barred by effluxion of time”.
According to him, “The application constitutes an invitation to the Supreme Court to sit on appeal over its final decision.”
Uzodimma and APC further argued that: “Having delivered its final decision on the 1st and 2nd Respondents’ Appeal No. SC. 1462/2019 between Senator Hope Uzodinma & Anor v Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha & 2 Ors, the Supreme Court has become fuctus officio and divested of jurisdiction over the same subject matter.
“Order 8 Rule 16 of the Supreme Court Rules 2014 prohibits this Honourable Court from reviewing its judgment once given and delivered, save to correct clerical mistakes or accidental slip.
“The judgment sought to be set aside having been given effect by the inauguration of the 1st Respondent/Objector as governor of Imo State; this Honourable Court lacks the jurisdiction to grant the prayer sought”.
Besides, Uzodimma stated that Ihedioha’s application “constitutes an abuse of court process” and “is against public policy”.
He insisted that the application seeking to restore Ihedioha amounts to an invitation for the Supreme Court to indulge in an academic exercise that was merely directed as gaining answers to hypothetical questions.
Uzodinma contended that the apex court ordered that a Certificate of Return should be issued to him forthwith and that he should be sworn-in immediately, stressing that the order had since been made effective by his inauguration as the governor of lmo State.
He, therefore, asked the court to invoke Section 6(6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended and dismiss Ihedioha’s quest to invalidate the judgment that brought him to power.
Meanwhile, the apex court has fixed February 18 to hear the motion Ihedioha filed to set aside its judgement that removed him as Imo State governor.
A seven-man panel of Justices of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, had in a unanimous decision, declared that Senator Hope Uzodinma of the APC was the bona-fide winner of the Imo governorship election.
The CJN-led panel, in its judgement, noted that valid votes that accrued to Uzodinma from 388 polling units were illegally excluded during the computation process.
It held that if the excluded votes were added, Uzodinma, who was the appellant, would have secured majority of valid votes cast at the governorship election.
Consequently, it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which was the 1st Respondent in the matter, to immediately issue a fresh certificate of return to Uzodinma who initially came fourth in the governorship election.
Ihedioha, had in the five grounds he raised in his appeal, insisted that the Supreme Court lacked the jurisdiction to declare Uzodinma governor in the absence of any proof that votes ascribed to him met the mandatory geographical spread.
In his brief of argument, Ihedioha contended that: “This Honourable Court did not have the jurisdiction to declare the 1st Appellant/Respondent as elected in the absence of any proof that the votes ascribed to him met the mandatory geographical spread stipulated in Section 179 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“This Honourable Court did not have the jurisdiction to declare that the 1st Appellant/Respondent met the constitutional geographical spread without providing in its judgment the reason(s) for that conclusion”.
He argued that the panel had no jurisdiction to hand victory to Uzodinma “in an election petition which was based on two inconsistent and mutually exclusive grounds”.
He drew attention of the apex court to the fact that one of the grounds of the petition Uzodinma lodged against the outcome of the Imo State governorship election, was that he (Ihedioha) was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election, “the implication of which is that the majority of votes cast at the election were valid”.
He said the second ground was that the election was invalid for non-compliance with the Electoral Act, “the implication of which is that the election be annulled”.
Besides, Ihedioha argued that the CJN-led panel failed to consider a subsisting judgement of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal that dismissed Uzodinma’s petition.

News

Don Lauds RSG, NECA On Job Fair

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

The Tide

The National Coordinator of Embedded Ai -EU Erasmus Project in Nigeria, Prof. Bourdillon Omijeh, has commended the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Rivers State Government for their strategic partnership in organizing the Job Fair 2026.

The Job Fair with theme: “Addressing Youth Employability for Prosperity,” took place at Obi International Conference Center, Port Harcourt, last week.

Speaking as Special Guest, Professor Omijeh stated that result-oriented human capital development and trainings focused on relevant skills is the most effective solution to reducing the high rate of graduate unemployment in Rivers State.

He noted that Nigeria is firmly in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), driven by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and 5G.

According to him, these emerging technologies offer enormous employment and entrepreneurial opportunities across critical sectors, including agriculture, power, Telecommunication, oil and gas, healthcare, and security.

He emphasized the growing shift from job seeking to job creation, explaining that youths equipped with 4IR skills can become innovators, solution providers, and founders of startups and new industries.

Professor Omijeh further stated that Nigeria is richly endowed with talented youths capable of competing globally when properly empowered with the right skills, support, and enabling environment.

He called for sustained collaboration between government, the private sector, and educational institutions to build a future-ready workforce and drive inclusive economic growth in Rivers State.

To the over 4000 teeming youths present, Professor Omijeh said, according to Bill Gate, that “Being born poor is not a fault, but remaining poor in a world of opportunity and skills is a responsibility that must be consciously addressed.

“Don’t allow your current circumstances define your destiny. There’s a seed of greatness in you. Sieze any and every opportunity to develop yourself and acquire the requisite skills.

He passionately urged the Rivers State Government to intentionally invest and fund result-oriented training programmes through the strategic Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment and Ministry of Youth Development to increase employability and reduce the rate of graduate unemployment in Rivers State.

He thanked the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and the Honorable Commissioner for Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, Dr. Chisom K. Gbali, for this laudable initiative with NECA.

Professor Bourdillon Omijeh is the National Coordinator of the Embedded Artificial Intelligence (EAI) -EU Erasmus Project in Nigeria; Immediate Past Director of Centre for Information and Telecommunication Engineering Uniport, NCC-Chair Occupant on ICT Uniport; TensorFlow four (4) times award winner on Capacity building on Ai & ML -(2021-2024), CEO-Bourdillon Omijeh Foundation.

As a Professional Mentor, he has facilitated the training of thousands of youths on 4IR- Skills with relevant certifications and evidential engagements.
Follow Prof Bourdillon Omijeh on LinkedIn.

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Explore Opportunities, Become Employers, Fubara Urges Rivers Youths

Published

4 days ago

January 23, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has urged youths in the state to take advantage of the vast opportunities available to become employers of labour and contribute meaningfully to growth and development.

Fubara said global trends increasingly favour entrepreneurship and innovation, stressing that youths in Rivers State must not be left behind in harnessing such opportunities.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Benibo Anabraba, the governor stated this while declaring open the 2026 Job Fair organised by the Rivers State Government in partnership with the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Speaking on the theme, “Addressing Youth Employability for Prosperity,” the governor acknowledged the responsibility of government to create jobs for its teeming youth population but noted that it was unrealistic to absorb all job seekers into the civil service.

“As a government, we recognise our duty to provide employment opportunities for our teeming youths. However, we also understand that not all youths can be accommodated within the civil service.

“This underscores the need to encourage entrepreneurship across diverse sectors and to partner with other stakeholders, including the youths themselves, so they can transition from being job seekers to employers of labour,” he said.

Fubara further urged participants to continually sharpen their skills and explore opportunities within their immediate environment and the global space through digital platforms.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining peace and providing an enabling environment for youths to develop their potential and thrive.

In a goodwill message, the Commissioner for Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment, Dr Chisom Gbali, said the job fair was designed to equip youths with contemporary skills, innovation and mentorship needed to transform them from unemployable to resourceful individuals.

Gbali disclosed that the ministry had rolled out various training and capacity-building programmes in areas such as ICT and artificial intelligence, oil and gas, maritime, and the blue economy.

Delivering the keynote address, the Head of the Department of Human Resources Management, Rivers State University, Dr Chris Biriowu, advised participants to remain informed about evolving sources of employability.

He said the labour market was dynamic and shaped by industry-specific demands, technological advancement, management practices and other emerging factors.

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King Jaja Impacted Beyond Rivers -Deputy Gov

Published

4 days ago

January 23, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, has poured accolades on late Amayanabo of Opobo, HRM Dandeson Douglas Jaja V, saying his footprints went beyond the State.

Speaking during a condolence visit to the wife of the late king, Prof. Odu said the late monarch contributed meaningfully beyond the shores of Rivers State.

“He contributed not only to Opobo, not only to Rivers State, but to Nigeria as a nation. We all know the various positions he held until his passing. For us as a Commission, we are really going to miss him greatly, especially at this time when his guidance was most needed,” she stressed.

She described the late king as a distinguished traditional ruler whose life and service contributed immensely to the development of Rivers State and Nigeria at large.

The deputy governor, who also serves as Chairman of the Rivers State Boundary Commission, noted that until his demise, King Jaja was an Ex-Officio member of the Commission, representing Rivers South East Senatorial District.

According to her, the late monarch actively participated in several meetings of the Commission and played an important advisory role.

“He actually participated with us in a couple of meetings. It was with great shock that we received the news of his passing. We saw daddy as someone who was very strong, healthy and athletic,” Prof. Odu said.

Prof. Odu explained that the Commission relied heavily on the wisdom of traditional rulers like the late monarch to ensure that its responsibilities were carried out properly and conscientiously.

She assured the family of the Commission’s continued support, saying they will remain close to the family throughout the burial arrangements and beyond.

Addressing the widow, Queen Prudence Dandeson Douglas Jaja, Prof. Odu said the visit was to commiserate with her and encourage her during the period of mourning.

“Please accept our condolences. Please be strong and put your hope in God. The God who watches over widows will never abandon you,” the deputy governor prayed.

“We cannot question God. What has happened has happened. All we can do is to pull ourselves together. That is why we are here to pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you, that God will turn your sadness into joy and clothe you with a garment of beauty,” she added.

Responding, Queen Jaja described her late husband as a gentle, humble man who was deeply committed to the progress of Rivers State, and Nigeria at large.

She expressed gratitude to the deputy governor and other members of the Boundary Commission for identifying with the family in their moment of grief.

“We are praying that his soul will rest in perfect peace. I thank you very much for coming to console me at this trying moment. Seeing you here has given me comfort. God bless each and every one of you,” she said.

She also offered prayers for the delegation, wishing them a long life and good health.

Highlight of the visit was the presentation Letter of Condolence from the Rivers State Boundary Commission to Queen Jaja.

Kevin Nengia