AKWA IBOM APPEAL JUDGEMENT IS A TOTAL FRAUD – Femi Falana

A respected senior advocate of Nigeria Mr Femi Falana, Monday on Channel’s Tv, described the Appeal Court Judgement of the Akwa Ibom State Governorship Elections as fraud and against the integrity of the Judiciary.

The Legal luminary and human rights activist said that the judgement contradicted both Supreme Court Precedents and the Constitution. He warned the All Progressive Congress to stop the wanton destruction of the Country’s Judiciary over what he termed as greedy political agitation, which is capable of dividing the country.

Mr Falana  wondered how the same Appeal Court  which delivered Judgement on the Lagos Governorship Election, on the premise  that the Card reader cannot invalidate an election – and same  was upheld by  the Supreme Court – but concerning the Akwa Ibom Judgement, the jurist used card reader to annul the elections.

On the same day that the Akwa Ibom State governorship election was annulled, the same Appeal Court delivered Judgment on  the Yobe State  Governorship election,  citing  the Judgement of  Jimmy Agbaje Vs Ambode as a precedent  and went ahead to uphold that election, based on the fact that card reader malfunction cannot invalidate an election.

“I cannot be quiet and allow the APC government destroy the judiciary. How can an Appeal Court use an exhibit that was not admitted by the tribunal to cancel an election? President Buhari should explain to Nigerians why card reader and collation did not invalidate elections in Yobe, Imo , Lagos , Ogun and Oyo  States  that had the same issue of accreditation . Whereas the Akwa Ibom election is annulled based on card reader when collation was shown live on Tv”

“If the Supreme Court does not upturn the Judgement of the Court of Appeal on the Akwa Ibom State governorship elections, it therefore means that  APC’s  change  was just a mantra to deceive the electorate to have their votes.”

“Look at the corruption war; it is only PDP members that are being prosecuted. What happens to the APC corrupt politicians?  It throws up a  question on the integrity of President Buhari’s administration. PDP did not win in all the States during their sixteen years of leadership; they lost some through litigation to ACN and other political Parties”. He concluded.