Victor Ezeja
A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Kenneth Okonkwo has faulted some of the decisions of the Nigerian Supreme Court in the case between President Bola Tinubu and opposition political parties over the outcome of the February 25 polls.
Prime Business Africa reports that the Supreme Court on Thursday, dismissed the appeals filed by presidential candidates of the Labour Party, Peter Obi and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, challenging the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 polls. The court in its lead judgement upheld the September 6 ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in favour of Tinubu.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelReacting to the apex court ruling, Okonkwo, who is the spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council stated that while dismissing Peter Obi’s petition as lacking in merit, the Supreme Court failed to make any pronouncement on the issue of the Forfeiture of $460,000.00 as fine for narcotics trafficking and money laundry brought to the Court by the Appellants against Tinubu.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court Strikes Out Atiku, Obi’s Appeal Against PEPC Judgment In Favour Of Tinubu
Okonkwo stated this during his appearance on Arise News TV’s Prime Time on Thursday evening.
He said: “It’s strange that the Supreme Court did not say anything whatsoever about the issue of the Forfeiture of $460,000.00 as fine for narcotics trafficking and money laundry brought to the Court by the Appellants.”
Okonkwo, a Nollywood actor turned politician, who is also a lawyer, argued that according to the law, the court is under a duty to make pronouncement on every issue brought to it by any petitioner or party but the apex court failed to do so on the alleged drug deal brought before it.
He said he disagrees with the top court’s ruling but accepts it as a democrat.
He further asserted that Thursday’s court ruling has “clothed Bola Tinubu’s presidency with constitutionality” because the Supreme Court decision is final, “but it has not clothed it with democracy.”
He also stated that the Supreme Court has confirmed that the chairman of the Independent of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, did not do what he ought to have done to ensure the credibility of the election, after spending billions of naira allocated for the exercise.
He, therefore, called for the resignation of the INEC chairman, who according to him, failed to deliver on his promises to Nigerians.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
