BAYELSA: APC UNDER ‘FIRE’ OVER ATTACK ON MARY PETER ODILI

TRACKING____Legal practitioners under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LDD) have urged members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to direct their grievances on the Supreme Court judgment at the leadership of their party.

The panel led by Justice Mary Odili held that the erstwhile Deputy Governor-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo, presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At different times, the APC reacted angrily to the judgment that effectively sacked APC Governorship candidate, David Lyon, as Governor-elect and favoured the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Duoye Diri.
National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, called it an injustice and announced the decision of the party to return to the court.
However, the development has led to calls by some APC chieftain and members on Oshiomhole to resign.

On Monday, a statement by LDD National Coordinator, Barr. Ohazuruike Tochukwu and Publicity Secretary, Ishaq Bello, noted that the APC and its supporters have deliberately singled out Justice Odili and attempted to malign her reputation.

It stressed that the justice neither wrote nor read the lead judgment on Bayelsa and recalled that Odili read the lead judgments in four other governorship appeals won by the APC.
LDD said: “It is obvious that the leadership of the Party, in order to divert attention from its failures and impunity as it did in Zamfara and Rivers States, have instigated their supporters, social media blackmailers and other uninformed Nigerians to defame an eminent jurist of the Supreme Court.

“How did they forget so soon that the same Justice Mary Odili was still married to a PDP stalwart when she read the lead judgment in the Katsina, Kaduna, Lagos and Nasarawa Governorship appeals all won by the APC.
“If Justice Odili is as compromised as they would now want Nigerians to believe, how then did the APC win all the appeals where she wrote and read the lead judgment?”

The group added that there are legal ways of protesting which does not include maligning justices of the Supreme Court and making spurious allegations over marital status.

On the violence in Bayelsa, LDD urged security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property of citizens.
“Politicians of both the APC and PDP are enjoined to take their politics away from the judiciary. We urge our noble Lordships to continue to be fearless in dispensation of justice as this is the unfortunate occupational hazard they may have to contend with in this clime”, it added.