The last hope of the common man, the Judiciary may be the last symbol of state that is betraying the trust of Nigerian people. Appellate judges sitting in Abuja as arbiters on the prolonged intra People Democratic Party PDP governorship tussle in the case of former Speaker of the River State House of Assembly, Rotimi Amaechi, and newly elected Governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omeihia are now being accused of collecting about N800 Million ($8 Million) as gratification to influence their decision.
The wife of the immediate past Governor of River State, Justice Mary Odili, an Appellate Judge is the prime suspect for the dispensing the booty to the appellate Judges who it was alleged used her recent birthday party as the “settlement party for the judges.”
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that although the voice is that of Esau, the hand is obviously that of Jacob. Justice Odili stands in suspicion of acting on behalf of her husband, Ex-Governor Peter Odili whose relationship with Amaechi had gone sour over the PDP Governorship ticket of River State.
Amaechi, a long standing friend of Odili was replaced by the PDP with Omeihia after the EFCC’s indictment of the former Speaker for corruption and abuse of office. Amaechi is currently challenging the constitutionality of his substitution by the PDP with Omeiha, in what sources said is the reason for the sour relationship with the two friends
This allegation is said to be at the center of the present quagmire and indecision in which the appellate court presently find itself. Procedural breach was said to have been responsible for the rush of the matter from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has refused to entertain the case referring it back to the Appeal Court, noting that “the court of Appeal was in error when it declined jurisdiction to hear the appeal and cross appeal.”
According to Pointblanknews.com finding, some of the Judges who were listed for hearing the case attended the birthday part of Justice Odili’s sometimes last May. It was a clear ethical gaffe on their path because by virtue of the wife of the ex-Governor of River State she had become a person with vested interest in the power tussle within the PDP and River State.
Whether this was a known fact to the judges or not, it was said that the well known agenda of the Appeal Court Judges that attended the birthday party was that it would be used for them to receive monetary gratification in the case.
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Highly placed sources hinted Pointblanknews.com that it was at the party that the eye-popping N800 Million was alleged to have been offered to “influence or silence the conscience of the Judges.”
When the Judges got back to Abuja, the merit of the case was said to have been too hot to thinker with, that, the incoherently and illogically ruled that it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The case was later taking to the Supreme Court. Amazed Supreme Court Judges pooh-poohed the shoddy ruling from the court of Appeal and drew the attention of the President of the Appeal Court, Justice Umar Abdulahi that the Appellate Court erred in its refusal to entertain the case.
Specifically, it was learnt that Justice Idris Kutigi, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria is said to express dissatisfaction over the handling of the issue and warned the Justices of the Appeal Court of the implications of their actions.
Now the Appellate Court is confused on the next line of action whether to entertain the matter or not. Their confusion started in May when they acted ultra-vires by attending the birthday bash where they got the alleged monetary inducement.
Meanwhile the case was mentioned before the Appeal Court in Abuja yesterday, the court weighed it options and settled for the easiest option: It adjourned the case sine die (indefinitely) as confusion became the order of the day.