By: Admin
A group known as the South South Democratic Watch has raised concerns over the conduct of the Tribunal Justices in the South South States.
Speaking to journalists after its bimonthly general meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, President of the group, High Chief Harry Sogbeyi frowned at what he described as “unholy romance between some Niger Delta governors and members of the election petitions tribunal in respective states in the region.”
According to him, the state governors who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) met on January 13, 2019, in Port Harcourt where they formulated strategies aimed at manipulating the elections petition tribunal to their advantage.
He said the meeting had in attendance, Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa) and Ben Ayade (Cross River).
“At the meeting which was held on the heels of President Muhammadu Buhari’s suspension of the now dismissed Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, the governors unanimously adopted the strategy of using judges from the Niger Delta region as agents to financially induce chairmen and members of the elections petition tribunal in respective states where elections took place.
“The governors didn’t stop at telling the former CJN to shun the CCT invitation, they also said that ongoing prosecution is humiliating and unacceptable. They threatened fire and brimstone, vowing to avenge the prosecution of their ally”, Sogbeyi stated.
Speaking further, he alleged that the governors have so far received the assurances of judges to implement every trick in the book to compromise the tribunal panel.
“One of the strategies adopted and implemented is making the compromised tribunal panel members receive directive from the Resident Electoral Commissioners of respective states. And we have it on good authority that the move to compromise the tribunal has so far been successful in Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State.”
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and anti-graft agencies to wade into the issue.
