Imo Guber: Supreme Court has commenced hearing of Iheidioha’s application

A panel of seven justices of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed has commenced hearing of an application brought before it by the immediate past governor of Imo state, Emeka Ihedioha and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the setting aside of the January 14 judgment of the apex court that sacked him from the Imo state government house.

The apex court had, in a unanimous judgment nullified the election of Ihedioha and ordered that Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressive Congress (APC) be sworn in as Imo state governor.

The Court, which set aside the concurrent judgements of the state governorship election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Iheodioha’s election, held that he (Ihedioha) was not validly elected as the governor of the state and consequently ordered that the certificate of return issued to Ihedioha be retrieved and issued to Hope Uzodinma.

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Meanwhile governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state, in a preliminary objection, asked the apex Court to dismiss Ihedioha’s application, seeking judicial review of its judgement which had on January 14, 2020.

Uzodimma’s preliminary objection was against a motion dated 5th February 2020, filed by Ihedioha and PDP, wherein they prayed the Supreme Court for an order setting aside “as a nullity the judgment delivered by it on the 14th of January, 2020 in Appeal No. SC.1462/ 2019 and Cross-Appeal No. SC.147Y0/ 2019.

Uzodimma and APC’s preliminary objection dated 6th February 2020, against Ihedioha’s motion on notice was brought pursuant to Section 6(6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.