
via Why Apapa’s desperation and Kano Court judgment on Otti cannot stand – LP, Lawyers
the continuing crises orchestrated with the aid of group unswerving to the suspended Deputy countrywide Chairman (South) of the Labour birthday celebration (LP) took a brand new measurement, weekend, with an order of a Federal excessive court docket Kano, sacking all Labour celebration elected officers.
however criminal professionals and officials of the Labour birthday celebration (LP) have declared that the Friday assertion by means of the Federal high court, Kano sacking Abia LP Governor-go with and others cannot stand the burden of the regulation.
In what some observers defined as a determined bid to derail the continued case on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Apapa and his organization had stormed the Abuja premises of the court claiming to be the “genuine“ leadership of the party.
They had been but, thrown out of the courtroom room at the orderd of Haruna Tsammani
now not accomplished, the breakaway organization approached the Federal high courtroom in Kano state, to invalidate all of the elections won by means of the Labour party in the simply concluded wellknown election.
operating in tandem with the previous countrywide felony Adviser, Samuel Oyelekan, the group had on Wednesday, while the Presidential enchantment Tribunal turned into sitting in Abuja with all attentions targeted on it, “clandestinely” sneaked out of Abuja to Kano nation in which he, in collaboration with some members of the opposite political parties, asked the courtroom to invalidate all of the elections won with the aid of the Labour birthday party, particularly, the country wide assembly within the 36 states and FCT at the ground that we didn’t submit check in of citizens to INEC.
acting countrywide exposure Secretary of the Labour celebration, Obiora Ifoh, defined the organization as “retailers of darkness, masquerading as birthday celebration officers who've taken their hatchet activity to a brand new level and could forestall at nothing in doing their paymasters bid to truncate our case in diverse tribunal.”
He warned Nigerians to be “on the alert and be a part of forces in ensuring that all the anti-democratic forces in our midst are subdued.”
in step with him, “The management of the Labour birthday party is horrified with the judgment entered in opposition to our birthday party through a kingdom high court docket in Kano state in which it annulled the elections of our birthday celebration members into various political places of work throughout the 36 states of the federation.
The celebration said it changed into even greater involved with the haste with which Mohammed Yunusa of Kano high court docket discharged its duties as the appearance and judgment inside the count number introduced earlier than it with the aid of suspended individuals of the celebration unswerving to the previous deputy national Chairman, Lamidi Apapa lasted handiest forty eight hours.
The courtroom in in shape No FHC/KN/CS/107/2023 filed by Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim towards the Labour birthday party and the independent country wide Electoral fee ruled that the failure of the Labour celebration to submit its club sign in to the unbiased countrywide electoral fee inside 30 days earlier than their primaries renders the process invalid.
It additionally ruled that the party having no longer complied with the provisions of the electoral act cannot be stated to have a candidate in an election and can not be declared winner of an election.
Labour party that's noted as a respondent inside the case, said it “became now not privy to any healthy in opposition to in Kano country as the party turned into not served with any summons”
according to the birthday celebration “the former country wide prison Adviser Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan has when you consider that ceased from being an officer of the celebration and his look for the celebration is not with any authorisation from the leadership of the celebration’s national working Committee.
“you'll don't forget that on Wednesday, we raised an alarm that suspended countrywide prison Adviser Samuel Akingbade Oyelekan, even as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal become sitting in Abuja with all attentions targeted on it, clandestinely sneaked out of Abuja to Kano state where he in collaboration with some participants of the alternative political parties requested the courtroom to invalidate all the elections won with the aid of the Labour celebration, specially, the country wide meeting inside the 36 states and FCT at the floor that the birthday party didn’t post register of voters to INEC.
“The judgment isn't most effective inconsequential however also laughable and holds no water. The courtroom lacks the jurisdiction to entertain an election topics at a time while elections have since been concluded and winners emerged. The Kano courtroom is likewise now not a tribunal which has the constitutional powers to entertain pre election topics.
“the two respondents inside the count number are Labour birthday party and INEC. No character is referred to within the depend and no court docket can furnish any alleviation that isn't always searched for. So we lose no sleep on the black market judgement as we can soon direct our legal professionals to method the enchantment court to vacate the unwell-conceived judgment.”
Labour birthday party additionally mentioned that it has “time and again raised the alarm of the plots by way of the opposition parties to make sure that Labour birthday party is engulfed in disaster,” adding that “Few weeks in the past, we alerted Nigerians of plots to hijack the birthday party and by extension, target all our instances within the tribunal. we've got given that produced evidences of the letters initiated by Akingbade to diverse tribunals asking for withdrawal of instances before them.
“For the upteempth time, Samuel Akingbade, Lamidi Apapa, Abayomi Arabambi and every body in that camp have ceased to be representing Labour birthday party in whatever potential and assertion serves as a disclaimer on them and for the facts of Nigerians. today, on the at the FCT kingdom high court before Justice Hamza Muazu in a be counted among Apapa’s institution and Abure, the judge amongst other matters reprimanded Apapa camp for trying to take over the management of the Labour birthday celebration and constituting themselves right into a nuisance.”
A criminal practitioner, Umeh Kalu, a Senior suggest of Nigeria (SAN), disregarded the Federal excessive courtroom judgment in Kano, describing it as “inconsequential.”
according to Umeh, former legal professional widespread and Commissioner for Justice, in Abia nation “The judgment is inconsequential and lifeless on arrival.
“it's miles lifeless on arrival because Alex Otti isn't a celebration to the match. i have visible the judgment. You can't make an order to everyone that is not a celebration earlier than you. The troubles they raised there are the identical element they raised on the tribunal.
“They stated that the membership sign up of the Labour birthday party (LP) turned into no longer submitted 30 days earlier than— and— some of these problems were raised at the tribunal. Elections have come and long gone; applicants regular by means of INEC, elections carried out, outcomes declared.
“Any issue that has to do with that election, the only arena for it's far the election tribunal. the difficulty they raised is pre- election be counted.
“but, even at the advantage, the Kano case is dead on arrival. You can not shave everyone’s head in his absence. Alex Otti’s name changed into not mentioned in that judgement despite the fact that I suppose he's the target.”
citing segment 251 (1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, an Abuja primarily based felony practitioner, Frank Nabena of the F.B.A Nabena & Co Chambers, stated the charter offers that the Federal excessive court is one and has jurisdiction overlaying all components of Nigeria.
“we've most effective one Federal excessive courtroom, in terms of the difficulty of jurisdiction. this is why a few politicians who feel dangerous prosecuting their cases in their states, can run to Abuja and any of the Federal excessive Courts, throughout the united states of america
Nabena however, mentioned that the courtroom machine is being bastardised via a few Senior legal professionals who use the court to extort cash from the politicians.
“That phase gives that ‘notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained on this constitution and further to such different jurisdiction as may be conferred upon it by using an Act of the country wide meeting, the Federal high courtroom shall have and exercise jurisdiction to the exclusion of every other courtroom in civil causes and matters.'”
in line with section 251 (2) The Federal high court shall have and exercising jurisdiction and powers in respect of treason, treasonable felony and allied offences.
similarly subsection (three) says the court docket shall additionally have and workout jurisdiction and powers in appreciate of criminal causes and subjects in admire of which jurisdiction is conferred through subsection (1) of this phase.
In section 252 (1), it says that For the cause of excising any jurisdiction conferred upon it by using this charter or as can be conferred by using an Act of the countrywide assembly, the Federal excessive court shall have all of the powers of the high court docket of a kingdom.
“in (2) however subsection (1) of this section, the countrywide assembly might also by means of regulation make provisions conferring upon the Federal high court docket powers extra to those conferred by way of this segment as might also seem important or applicable for enabling the courtroom more effective to exercise its jurisdiction.
“From the above, it's far assumed that the Federal high court docket is believed to be one, across the united states of america. however i am surprised that the Labour birthday celebration legal professionals did not oppose the movement in courtroom, because it is problem to an appeal.
“the moment an enchantment is filed towards the pronouncements, and served, it's miles an automated for go back to the statues quo ante. although they're not happy,they could nonetheless continue to the ideally suited court.”
also assessing the judgment, Suleiman Lamorde, a criminal practitioner based totally in Abuja, concurred with the above role.
He disclosed that the Labour party has to approached the court of appeal to vacate the judgement of the Kano court court docket.
“There have been cracks inside the Labour birthday party with the Deputy country wide Chairman, South, Lamidi Apapa, working to hijack the birthday party shape from the Julius Abure-led government
“They even claimed that Alex Otti, the LP Governor – go with for Abia state isn't always even a member of the celebration, but I don’t see the judgement standing when the actual case is executed with,” he said.
Goddy Ehimikhuai, an Adamawa-based felony practitioner, described the judgment as “portraying the extent of corruption in the judiciary.”
in keeping with him, “This should were a pre-election matter, and anyhow, why Kano?
“Why changed into the judge so hasty in handing over such judgment without listening to from each the LP and the independent countrywide Electoral fee ( INEC), towards who the case turned into instituted?
he's of the belief that the case might be upturned on the court of enchantment.
“there is a court docket of attraction in Kano and all they need to do is record the vital papers and it is going to be upturned,” he stated
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Why Apapa’s desperation and Kano Court judgment on Otti cannot stand – LP