NewStats: 3,262,258 , 8,176,637 topics. Date: Sunday, 01 June 2025 at 04:05 PM 1g4e6t

The All Progressive Congress (APC) has petitioned three justices of the Supreme Court over the Imo North Senatorial District bye-election held on December 5, 2021.

This development moved the apex court to suspend indefinitely, hearing in the appeal brought before it by Francis Ibezim over the Imo North Senatorial District bye-election.

When the appeal was called for hearing on Tuesday, Justice Muhammed Musa Datijo, who led a five-member of justices of the apex court, informed counsel in the matter that the proceeding will not go on as scheduled.

He said the interim chairman of the APC and the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni had written a petition against him and two other justices, Helen Ogunwumiju and Abdu Aboki, accusing them of having a meeting with of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to subvert justice in the case.

He said the APC alleged that: “My humble self had led my two brothers to attend a meeting with of the PDP to strategize how to subvert the outcome of this case.

“I must say that this is most unfortunate and my heart bleeds for this country. If people as highly placed as the interim chairperson of the APC would open his mouth and make this weighty statement against innocent justices of this court, then I say my heart bleeds.

“We are not interested in any matter and I challenge him and the party to substantiate his allegation that my humble self attended a meeting with of the PDP with a view to subverting the interest of their party.

“This is a reckless and irresponsible statement. That is how these useless statements were made in the past and that is why we are not taking it likely.

“If they have honour, let them substantiate their allegations and I will not leave a day longer in this court.

“So, this matter is adjourned sine-die (Indefinitely) and parties should approach the Chief Justice of the Federation,” Justice Datijo stated.

Responding, Ahmed Raji (SAN), counsel to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, a senatorial aspirant, said he was shocked to hear about the allegations made against the Justices.

According to the senior lawyer, “this is very shocking. I swear with my last day in this court that I, Ahmed Raji, know nothing about this issue and I condemn it with all the strength in me.

“I sympathise with your lordships and whatever measure your lordship deems appropriate, we are fully in ,” Raji stated.

Umeh Kalu, counsel to the APC said he was just hearing of the petition for the first time, noting that, “I am taken aback by this. I have never in my life met with the interim chairman of the APC.

“In matters of this nature, we normally deal with the legal adviser. In the first place, PDP is not a party in this matter,” he said.

Ifeanyi Ararume and Francis Ibezim, both of the APC have been in a legal battle over the seat of the senator representing the Imo North Senatorial District in the Senate.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared APC as the winner of the bye-election but refused to announce any person as the authentic candidate of the party on the grounds of conflicting court orders for and against the two major contenders.

However, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on March 18, 2021, ordered INEC to issue Ararume with the certificate of return.

The suit before the apex court is that which seeks to upturn the judgment of Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja and that of the Court of Appeal which nullified Ibezim’s candidature on the grounds that he made a false declaration in the documents he submitted to INEC.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/apc-petitions-against-three-supreme-court-justices-over-imo-north-senatorial-bye-election/amp/

Imo North is gone

If Justices Ogunwumiju and Aboki can be accused by APC... Judges who just came in some weeks ago...I think APC has settled to eventually lose the case.

....kahal29, ejimatic dansuqi garfield1 agbegbaraoye, AAA593

All
People
Confused party.

Bye “bye” election.

Imo state on the map again for the wrong reason

APC is banking on supreme court to win the election since they have Supreme Court governor

“In matters of this nature, we normally deal with the legal adviser. In the first place, PDP is not a party in this matter,” he said.

Whose interest is the interim chairman of the APC working for when the two candidates are of same fold

fergie001:
Imo North is gone

If Justices Ogunwumiju and Aboki can be accused by APC... Judges who just came in some weeks ago...I think APC has settled to eventually lose the case.

....kahal29, ejimatic dansuqi garfield1 agbegbaraoye, AAA593

Am so busy at the office.are you still at ugep

funny &directionless party

garfield1:


Am so busy at the office.are you still at Ugep

Noooo....left

Maxymilliano:


Whose interest is the interim chairman of the APC working for when the two candidates are of same fold

Obviously, to kill any chance of Ibezim (and/or Hope) getting in there.

That will be the only logical reason.

the CJN should assign Amina Augie (JSC) to preside over the .....she's a very bold and learned jurists


I think under her ....justice will be served

ok

APC bastardized the judiciary(including the supreme court).Now the same APC is complaining of alleged bias and perversion of justice by the same judiciary.What a government!

This is a serious allegation and I the interim chairman of the APC should be ready to defend this.

PDP is not a party to the suit...I don't get it.Both candidate are from the same party.Confused people.

Kwanza:


https://tribuneonlineng.com/apc-petitions-against-three-supreme-court-justices-over-imo-north-senatorial-bye-election/amp/

. In a case of Buhari vrs Atiku 2019 at the PEPT the woman assigned to handle the case stepped down because she was alleged by PDP to have a relation who has connection with APC.While a case like this is shocking the alleged judges should step aside for fair hearing so all the concerned parties will be happy at the end of the day...The truth is the corruption in the country has affected judiciary too.Until our system is sanistised we will keep suspecting one another every day.

".....The All Progressive Congress (APC) has petitioned three justices of the Supreme Court over the Imo North Senatorial District bye-election held on December 5, 2021. ....."

Am I the only one confused with the bolded

ejimatic:
. In a case of Buhari vrs Atiku 2019 at the PEPT the woman assigned to handle the case stepped down because she was alleged by PDP to have a relation who has connection with APC.While a case like this is shocking the alleged judges should step aside for fair hearing so all the concerned parties will be happy at the end of the day...The truth is the corruption in the country has affected judiciary too.Until our system is sanistised we will keep suspecting one another every day.

This is different.

The person in question, Bulkachuwa's husband is a Senator under APC.

The allegation here is that they had a meeting with the PDP, adding Ogunwumiju is even more annoying to me.

Buni has the intention to kill the APC chances here.

The judges have agreed to recuse themselves from the case. Augie will be the best bet to CHAIR it.

Imo wants to extend their curses and bad luck all around Nigeria.

J-anjawee-d party

The bastards want to sink Apc, give the party a bad name, discredit the party, jump to PDP and hand over the carcass of APC to Tinubu.

Whenever apc cant compromise the judges, they accuse them of having meetings with the pdp. That way, the judges in a bid to save their names against false accusations will recuse themselves from the case, thereby giving room for the apc to shop for the judges that will do their bidding.
The judiciary should stop falling for those antics

The fall of buni is imminent.. he should continue playing god

Ademola47:
".....The All Progressive Congress (APC) has petitioned three justices of the Supreme Court over the Imo North Senatorial District bye-election held on December 5, 2021. ....."

Am I the only one confused with the bolded

It's none of your own confusion except you're an APC member.
Imagine a confused party of criminals holding election in December 5, 2021 in March.
Tueh!

Buhari, please deploy EFCC to capture the corrupt supreme court judges.

This is to give Tanko time to find Judges that are subject to APC control

VictoriaNkechi:
ok

WHY ARE YOU ADVERTISING YOURSELF ON NAIRALAND

Justice Helen Ogunwumiju can never do such. She was one of the fiercest judge at the Benin division of court of appeal until recently. She's bold,incorruptible and fearless.