Obiano, Ngige’s Know Fate Monday September 22, 2014 As Supreme Court Decides Who Is Governor Anambra State

                 

Photo: Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano and Mr Hassan Fawaz, Managing Director, of COMFAX Nigeria Limited, Hon Commissioner for Information Chief Tony Onyima (right) observes during the signing of N728 Million modernization and digitilization of Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS),Awka after 23 years of being in a sorry state.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria yesterday fixed Monday September 22 for judgment in an appeal seeking the removal of Anambra state Governor, Chief Willie Obiano from office.
Obiano contested the November 16, 2013 Anambra state governorship election under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and defeated both Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the election.

Miffed by the outcome of the poll, Ngige and Nwoye headed for the Tribunal, where they lost.
Consequently, Ngige filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal Enugu Division, where he equally lost as his appeal was dismissed by the five-man panel of Appeal Court Justices.
Not satisfied with the upholding of the tribunal’s decision by the Court of Appeal Enugu, Ngige had to institute another appeal against the Independent National Electoral Commission and three others at the Supreme Court.
However, at yesterday’s proceeding, Ngige’s counsel, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu SAN urged the court to accept their appeal by annulling the November 16, 2013 election.
In the appeal Ngige’s lawyer told the court that the appeal specifically seeks interpretation of certain provisions of the Electoral Act and their effect in relation to the Anambra governorship poll.
Ngige held that Obiano was not qualified to contest the gubernatorial election citing multiple registrations, electoral malpractices and removal of names from the voters’ register, few days to the election.
The appellant also alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC did not reflect the result of the third supplementary election in its final results, just as he accused the electoral body of conniving with Obiano and his party, APGA to adulterate result of the election.

In his submission, Ahmed Raji SAN, representing INEC in his brief of argument dated August 22, 2014 urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal.
“I urge this honourable court to dismiss this appeal. It is against concurrent finding of facts of the Election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal, Enugu” Raji said.
Raji pointed out that, “it is clear that the Akeredolu’s case is not the same as that made at the lower courts, especially in the Tribunal.
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