by (This opinion was written 6 months ago.)
A court order from the vacation judge of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, has stopped INEC from recognizing any candidate of the PDP for the Cross River Northern Senatorial by-election scheduled for October 31, 2020.
Vacation for federal high courts ends tomorrow Friday September 25 and federal high courts are meant to resume in Monday September 28.
But while the matter is still pending in Port Harcourt, Governor Ayade went forum shopping for an injunction for his preferred candidate to be announced. He went to his friend, Justice Simon Akpa Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Calabar.
Fiam, Justice Amobeda arrived Calabar on Sunday and on Monday 21st September, granted an injunction in favor of Ayade’s preferred candidate and ordered INEC to include the candidate’s name as the rightful candidate pending the determination of the motion on notice before him. This is happening during vacation. In broad daylight.
When were the processes filed?
Hon. Justices I.M. Sani and I.O. Oshomah are the two vacation judges in the South South. How on earth was it possible for Justice Simon Amobeda to sit during vacation when he is not a vacation judge?
Was Justice Amobeda granted fiat to sit during vacation?
What special interest does Justice Amobeda have in Cross River politics?
He has played so many controversial roles in partisan political scenarios in our State that leaves much to be desired.
He is the same judge who, on the eve of the contest, said APC did not have a candidate for the 2019 governorship election.
He is the same judge that threw out Barrister First Baba Isa’s suit challenging the illegal creation of ministries on the exclusive list by Governor Ayade.
He is the judge that gives all the pro Ayade judgments in Cross River State.
Justice Simon Amobeda appears to have become a tool in the hands of Governor Ayade to thwart the wishes of the good people of Cross River State.
I’m glad a petition has gone out to NJC again against Amobeda. Let more follow. He needs to tell the public how that injunction was granted when courts are not sitting.
Yours sincerely,
Citizen Agba Jalingo.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are strictly that of the writer, Agba Jalingo and does not represent The Lumine News or the organization the author works for.
