Let me state from the outset, categorically, that there is no interconnectedness whatsoever between the governorship review cases in Bayelsa and Imo states. There is no nexus at all because the electoral trajectory and subsequent statistical misconceptions in the case involving Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are inerasable symbols of equity that hallmark justice, which will be dispensed today.
Issuing from the foregoing, therefore, insinuations that the Bayelsa judicial outcome last Wednesday has a tendency to affect today’s manifestation are ludicrous, infantile and a gross abuse of fair comment and freedom of speech/opinion enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). As a distinguished and developmental communicator, I cannot belong to the intemperate class of those who will calumniate the country’s apex court on grounds of what is perceived as an unfair or unfavourable verdict. In the same jaundiced theatre of absurdity, this columnist cannot cast aspersions on the quintessential justices of the Supreme Court. Such horrendous denigration of eminent judicial officials of the hallowed national institution underscores the level of degeneracy in our society.
For goodness’ sake and for purposes of argument, these symbols of justice are human beings. They cannot be infallible as some people erroneously expect. In the circumstance, therefore, whatever positions they take—correctly or otherwise—is the ultimate judicial position not subject to vituperative interjections and conjunctive interpretations by ignoramuses, usually. The only option available to all and sundry is the court’s decision to take a second look at issues already decided as exemplified in today’s review involving the appeal of Ihedioha, the awaiting governor of Imo State.
It must be pointed out that no amount of emotional blackmail or political rascality can influence the apex court in its deliberations and decisions. It is this same kind of scurrility that was heaped on the Supreme Court when diligent Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State got his governorship judicial victory. Justice Mary Odili was singled out for malicious demonization over the Wike ordained triumph for inexplicable reasons.
I may not be Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, who is the first person to obtain M.Sc and PhD in Mathematics from my Alma Mater and university of first choice, the University of Lagos, but my daughter—best graduating science student particularly Data Processing, Further Mathematics and Mathematics who is today a Computer Science undergraduate—and I have examined the statistics released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the Imo State governorship election and came to the irrefutable conclusion that the controversial 380 polling units configuration on which Uzodinma triumphed is not feasible even by geometrical progression and quadratic equation except by algebraic convolution, if not sheer abracadabra!
According to official reports, there is no record of accreditation in the 388 PUs. By implication, if there is no accreditation, there cannot be voting which calls for cancellation of those PUs. It is obvious, therefore, that election in the instant area, if any, was not properly conducted in the circumstance. It is possible that the Supreme Court may have been misled in the first instance. The apposite thing to do in foreclosure of any fatalism is to cancel/exclude the 388 PUs.
Everyone knows full well that under no situation whatsoever will total votes cast anywhere be higher than PVCs collected. So, it is curious that 227 PUs had votes higher than PVCs collected affecting 176,000 of the allocated votes. Again—for emphasis—there cannot be votes without PVCs! This, ordinarily, should not be a challenge or a contentious issue at all.
With an unprecedented voter turnout of 80 per cent in the 388 PUs in question, it must be the highest in the world and clearly inconsistent with acclaimed state and national average. I have the conviction that the Supreme Court will review the 388 PUs in minutest and microscopic detail to forestall irreversible miscarriage of justice.
It smacks of delinquency on the part of anyone who willfully desecrates the Supreme Court because of what could best be attributable to human error. Only God in His almightiness is perfect. In other parts of the world, the apex court is held in the highest esteem for obvious reasons. Here, the obtuse is the case as every tot irresponsibly berates the topmost echelon of our judicial architecture on flimsy grounds.
I have also read news reports where a prominent lawyer advocated the reconstitution of the panel of justices to re-examine the Ihedioha appeal in order to diminish prospects of bias. Even if we get Christ and his apostles to preside over the appeal, there would still be pockets of reservations from the losing camp at the end of the day! We do not need angels to take a second look at this matter. After all, the apex court was in a position to dismiss the appeal in the first place if it so desired and heavens would not have fallen! The bitter-sweet aspect of Supreme Court decisions/verdicts is that nobody or institution can upturn them—they are not even supposed to be challenged by anyone!
There had equally been references to similar cases in the past which, the proponents canvassed, should serve as precedents in the present matter. The idealists did not consider the fact that those cases are not strictly the same thing with the uniqueness of the Ihedioha appeal for determination this morning by our most respected Lordships. This is not the time to call for the reconstitution (beef-up) of the panel of justices because of the time factor involved in the resolution of electoral disputes. Let us make do with the current seven justices and at the opportune time we can have the full compliments of apex court justices. If anyone insists on the reconstitution of the panel of justices, it may take ages thus aborting the Ihedioha anticipatory divine victory.
Taking everything into cognition, especially the 388 puzzle that reminds one of the 2/3 of 19 in the heyday of the National Party of Nigeria during the second republic, I have the strong conviction that Ihedioha will get divine victory today. It is amply evidential that the Supreme Court will return Ihedioha, the choice of Imolites and even non-Imolites.
It is interesting to underscore the fact that law is not based on sentiments or popular appeal. What is critical is fact which must be established and proved beyond reasonable doubt. Otherwise, the spontaneity of responsible global and pan-Nigeria demonstrations amid state-wide cataclysmic public uproar that greeted the removal of Ihedioha is enough evidence that he is indeed the people’s choice. It took appeals and bullish interventions of law-enforcement agencies to restore order to most parts of Imo State weeks after the apex court announcement. In contradistinction, Uzodinma was expectedly received by graveyard silence. The sacking of Ihedioha immediately killed the joy in the land that was supersonically being rekindled through the instrumentality of massive infrastructural renewal after the locust years of Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha of the APC.
It is my supplication that the Supreme Court will today affirm and uphold the people’s choice—Ihedioha—who has a divine mandate to rediscover, re-engineer and reposition his state after eight years of degeneracy and stagnancy, worsened by leadership poverty and unparalleled boyish rascality! Certainly, divine restoration awaits Ihedioha today, by His grace.