Abia Central: Appeal Court’s judicial fiasco, travesty not known in history, Group demands review

The Coalition for Social Justice and Good Governance (CSJGG) has demanded the immediate judicial review of the Court of Appeal’s judgment on Abia Central Senatorial Diatrict, saying the conflict of judgment showed its fiasco and travesty of justice not known in history.

In a press release signed by the Coalition’s Co-Convener,
Comr Ciroma Ahmed and sent to CAPITAL POST on Sunday, the expressed concern over the conflicting judgments by Justice Biobele A. Georgewill’s led National Assembly Election panel, warning that the Appeal Court’s miscarriage of justice could trigger judicial coup of democratic process.

CAPITAL POST reports that the Justice Georgewill’s panel sacked Senator Darlington Nwokocha on grounds of disqualification.

The read: “The dangerous, troubling and conflicting pattern of judgments by the Abia State National Assembly Election Appeal Court Panel sitting in Lagos to throw judicial caution to the winds, undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy and the overwhelming will of the people of Abia Central Senatorial District on February 25, 2023.

“The nullity of the National Assembly Elections is a broad daylight rape on justice and highly unbecoming of Judicial Officers.

“This fiasco is not only frightening but very dangerous to our democratic survival and raises several questions.

Senator Darlington Nwokocha

“First, the appeal panel members on this case were changed and reconstituted three consecutive times, before Justice Georgewill from Rivers State was posted as the Panel Chairman to do a hatchet job.

“The question is, what led to the changing of the panel members about three times? It is now obvious that they were in search of a willing officer who would execute the evil against the popular Will of the people of Abia Central.

“Also, by the Rules of Court proceedings, hearing notice for judgment was supposed to be given to parties ahead of time but Justice Georgewill led panel never informed the Counsel to the Labour Party nor Counsel to Distinguished Senator Nwokocha.

“Senator Nwokocha only got to know about the planned judicial coup when an anonymous lawyer on Friday, November 3rd, 2023, alerted him that he saw the case list suggesting that judgment on his matter may come up for ruling on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

“True to this intelligence, the panel secretly delivered judgment on the matter at about 600HRS on the night of Saturday, November 4, 2023, without adducing any reason for the purported disqualification.

“This was happening after the panel had earlier denied scheduling the case for judgment, but mysteriously they turned around, sat on the night of Saturday, November 4th 2023 and delivered a hatchet job.

“Perhaps, what is most shocking was the fact the judgment, which lasted less than three minutes declared that Sen. Darlington Nwokocha was not qualified to contest the elections without any legal reason and strangely went ahead to declare the PDP candidate as the winner.

“Curiously however, the same Justice Georgewill in about twenty minutes when the court proceeding reconvened for the second round of cases, reversed himself when he upheld the election of the Labour Party House of Representatives member for Isi-ala Ngwa North/South Federal Constituency who had a similar case and pleadings both in character, contexts and on point of law with that of Senator Darlington. These are questions begging for answers.

“For us, this judicial debacle orchestrated by Justice Georgewill B. A constitutes a new low for the Nigerian judiciary and a danger to Nigeria’s democratic experience.

“It is a judicial coup on the democratic process, a subversion of the purposeful Will of the People of Abia Central Senatorial District, and a criminal judicial precedent capable of breeding chaos and breakdown of law and order in Abia State and Nigeria at large.

“Consequently, we call on the President of the Court of Appeal, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council, NJC to immediately constitute a Judicial Review Panel on the Abia Central Senatorial Appeal Court Judgement, mandate Justice Georgewill to release details of the judgment, and to correct the judgment he obviously issued in error and restore the public confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the people.

“The Coalition and the people of Abia are very much aware of the allegations in the public space that the Abia State Election Appeal Court Panel may have been hugely compromised and dented resulting in this fiasco of one judgment on a case with similar facts and reversal self in another judgement with similar circumstance, and facts of law.

“Distinguished Senator Nwokocha recorded an overwhelming and sweeping victory with over 92000 votes and won across the six LGAs that make up Abia Central Senatorial District.

“However, in a strange mission to put something on noting, Justice Georgewill gave a conflicting judgement to unduly assist the PDP who trailed behind with 41000 votes.

“We received the public news and unconfirmed reports that Justice Georgewill has indeed officially reversed the erroneous judgement and corrected himself. If this position is confirmed, that would be the greatest salvation of the Judicial in Nigeria.

“Nobody is above mistakes, no matter how grave the mistake is, recognising it and accordingly reversing himself is central to maintaining the peace and security of our people.

“In the light of the above, the Coalition demands as follows;

“That the President, Court of Appeal, Federal Republic of Nigeria, immediately constitute a Judicial Review Panel to examine the circumstances of the conflicting judgements;

“Call on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to immediately convene an NJC meeting to address the numerous allegations against judicial officials;

“Call on Justice Georgewill to immediately release details of the judgement, issue a public apology to Nigerians and publicly address a press conference to reverse himself.

“If Justice Georgewill refuses to do the needful within the next three days, we will protest massively to call him out and use every legal means to drown his promised dream of being elevated to the Supreme Court of Nigeria”, the statement concluded.