A group of human rights lawyers have accused the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, and the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly being behind the false accusation made by Southeast APC zonal vice chairman aimed at blackmailing judges of the Appeal Court, Independent newspaper reports.
Independent newspaper, in a statement, the group alleged that the APC zonal vice chairman was “a well-known loyalist of the governor,” stating that the Zonal Vice Chairman was against the judges “who were meeting and sitting for the first time in Lagos without prior knowledge of each other.”
The said judges are to determine the appeal cases arising from the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal from Imo State.
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The lawyers at a press conference addressed by Barr. Tijani Ahmed at the Appeal Court complex in Lagos after the hearing of the Imo petitions was suspended based on the frivolous petition and accusation of corruption made by the APC zonal vice chair, said the action showed the level of desperation of the Uzodinma-led Imo APC.
The lawyers queried how a senior lawyer, Echezona Etiaba, could allegedly connive with such elements to malign the integrity of the judges “knowing that the contents of the petitions were false and have the audacity of accusing a senior member of the Bar, Damian Dodo, SAN, of bribery of Judges on behalf of one of the Appellants even when Hh knows Dodo is not in the case for any of the parties.”
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Governor operating in her office, “who are willing to undermine the judges and ensure that the plan to use the Appeal Court to stamp what they called Imo electoral robberies.”
Recall that the newly constituted Appeal Court panel was billed to start sitting in Lagos but surprisingly mid way APC via their Lawyer, Echezona Etiaba, SAN, brought a petition accusing the judges who are just seeing themselves sit for the first time on Monday morning, accusing them of corruption, bribery and for coming from PDP-controlled states.
“This latest move to tarnish the names of innocent justices of the Appeal Court is very provocative and shows the extent the Uzodinma’s men can go to have their way at the detriment of the integrity of the Appeal Court,” the group stated.
