Posted by By FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja on
The dust of Tuesday judgment of the Court of Appeal which unanimously awarded victory to President Umar Musa Yar'Adua in the controversial April 2007 presidential elections will take long to settle.
* How they got Ogebe
The dust of Tuesday judgment of the Court of Appeal which unanimously awarded victory to President Umar Musa Yar'Adua in the controversial April 2007 presidential elections will take long to settle.
One of the petitioners and presidential candidate of the ANPP in the election, Gen, Muhammadu Buahri has raised the stakes in the uproar against the justices that delieverd the verdict.
Buhari is not just blowing hot air but has come with direct attack on the chairman of the panel that heard and decided the matter, Justice James Ogebe who he accused of taking 'bribe" by other means from Yar'Adua to tilt judgment in his favour.
Buhari argued in an interview through his spoksperson that the elevation of Ogebe to the Supreme Court Bench by Yar'Adua just a week before the judgment was like a thank-you gift for a favour he did the president or alternatively was to influence his position on the matter thereby stiffling the course of justice and democracy.
Why Ogebe
Giving an insight into why the Appeal Tribunal ruled the way it did, Gen. Buhari who spoke through the Director-General of The Buhari Organisation (TBO), Dr. Buba Galadima, said the elevation of the Chairman of the Presidential Appeal Tribunal, Justice James Ogebe was part of the deal, because it was premature, as he was not the most senior in the Appellate court for promotion.
According to him, 'they used the elevation as part of the conspiracy to deny Nigerians justice. We have it on good authority that the recommendation for promotion was one part of the deals. The appointment to the Supreme Court was to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of former Chief Justice of the Nigeria, Justice Belgore from Kwara State. Interestingly, there is a senior justice of the Court of Appeal to Ogebe, and he is Justice Ayo Salami, also is from Kwara and presently serving as the Chairman of the Election Petition Appeal Tribunal in Jos, Plateau State. He ought to have been recommended in line with the practice in the judiciary, but the oppressors decided to reward Justice Ogebe from Benue State, who is number three in seniority, with the appointment.
'You can see why the judgment was like that, and you also see why he didn't show up at the ruling, little wonder they were so generous with the judgment that they were practically praising Iwu"
You played God
Gen Muhammadu Buhari has alleged that the judgment was a manifestation of a grand conspiracy and a monumental fraud perpetrated to deny him and Nigerians justice.
Buhari, who lamented the judgment told Saturday Sun in Abuja that it was even an irony that the judges affirmed the election to be free and fair even when Yar'Adua whose election was challenged, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo had both admitted that the election was flawed.
'Is it not amusing that the judges arrogate to themselves the status of being next to God and therefore infallible, and can interpret democracy the way they wanted. In any case Iwu has the right to boast after the judgment, because the learned justices said others were liars and were even commending him, when the rest of the world was condemning his shameful conduct.
The former Head of State who was particularly irked at the boasting of Prof. Iwu as having been vindicated by the tribunal's verdict that the election was most transparent in the history of Nigeria. Gen. Buhari stated that the INEC chairman could not but boast. 'No matter how long falsehood reigns, truth would one day catch up with it, he said. Not minding the circumstances now, Professor Maurice Iwu would not have the last laugh. He will be put to shame at last".
Supreme Court is sure
Dr. Galadima confirmed that General Buhari would be heading for Supreme court not because the Apex court would rise to the occasion but just to expose the plan the more, that they are the same. 'We don't expect them to upturn the Appeal court decision, because they are all the same, and it's a syndicate."
He however warned that the situation in Kenya started from denial of people's wish and cautioned the clique that is holding Nigerians by the jugular not to take the people for granted.
'Can you imagine, the election which Yar'Adua and his godfather, Obasanjo had admitted was flawed, the local and international observers said so, but the justices of the Appeal Tribunal disagreed and said the electoral fraud must be proven, how do you prove the fraud when the election did not hold in the first place?", he queried.