Court judgments are sacrosanct, APC tells Gov Wike
(Nigeria) The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday
advised Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State to respect court judgments.
Chief Segun Oni, the Deputy National Chairman of the party,
gave the advice while fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja.
Oni said Wike should respect court judgments that were
sacred as a lawyer.
He also enjoined the Rivers House of Assembly to guard
against flouting the Appeal Court judgment that upheld the election of Victoria
Nyeche, and immediately administer the oath-of-office on her.
Oni said: ``As far as we are concerned, judgments of the
court are sacrosanct, they should be respected, they should be obeyed and there
are no short-cuts.
``Unless there are other encumbrances that are related to
either an appeal filed in higher quarters, I don't think there should be
anything stopping it. I want to say very
clearly here, if there is an allegation of impersonation, it is not about the
elections. Therefore, the fact that she won and has been duly returned is not
in dispute.
``If they say she impersonated, she does not enjoy any
immunity, they would square that up in the court and if she is to appear before
any duly constituted court of law, I am sure she will. So, they should swear
her in immediately and if there are any legal battles to be drawn, then they
can draw it. That is our position.’’
On the issue of the inconclusive election in Rivers, Oni
said: ``Well, my personal view on inconclusive election is that until the
atmosphere is right and conducive.
``We will be making a mockery of democracy if we conduct
elections that are more or less gang wars and people would hijack at will,
people you know. The last one they killed an innocent youth corps member, they
killed soldiers and so on.
``Until there is an assurance that there is already a
clean-up of small arms that are in the hands of dangerous people all over
Rivers state now, I will not, I will not personally recommend that we should go
into election.”
He decried what he called the ``continued spate of
politically-motivated killings, intimidation and persecution of APC members in
Rivers State’’, saying the loss of lives were unnecessary.
Also speaking, Nyeche representing Port-Harcourt 1
Constituency in the state, called on the House of Assembly to administer on her
the oath-of-office in compliance with the court judgment.
``I call on the Attorney-General of the Federation and the
National Judicial Commission, NJC, to rescue the Rivers State judiciary by
calling Justice Adolphus Enebili to order for blatantly disregarding the
decision of a court of higher jurisdiction.
``What he has tried to do is to ensure that the verdict of
the Court of Appeal is of no effect by stopping my swearing-in,’’ she said.
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