AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF APPEAL, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
Petition for Relocation of Governorship Election Tribunal: Unacceptable Attempt to Shift Goalpost in the Middle of the Game
The leadership and members of Uyo Senatorial District Media Practitioners’ Forum (USDMPF) and the Akwa Ibom publics are miffed by the quantum of falsehood peddled in the social and print media spaces and an unnecessary petition by Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, the candidate of Young Progressive Party (YPP) who lost out woefully in the last governorship elections in Akwa Ibom State, calling for the relocation of the elections appeal Tribunal to Abuja, citing insecurity as reason for their outcry.
It beats our reasoning and that of peace loving persons who have been following the progress of the elections appeal Tribunal in Uyo that the YPP, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (aka OBA) and his followers should be running when actually there appears nothing in sight chasing them away from a state many are finding peace and solace in, by calling for relocation of the Tribunal to Abuja.
Is their action a feeling of another failure which Senator Albert Akpan and his YPP are known for?
May we quickly state that Senator OBA’s petition, apart from being ill-timed, is a properly orchestrated strategy to frustrate course of justice. The Senator and his cohorts believe that attempting to shift the goalpost in the middle of the game as dictated by his Abuja connection script will give him safe landing hence his resort to stampede the peaceful Tribunal sittings.
Media Professionals Write Chief Justice of Nigeria
We condemn in strong terms this attempt to create a crisis situation to achieve his selfish desire and advise that Senator Bassey Albert’s Petition should be ignored in all ramifications.
Senator Bassey Albert Akpan cannot deny that his star witnesses, Daniel Edet Akpan the self acclaimed staff of University of Uyo and the statistician who alleged he was hired to cook up unverified data at the election appeal Tribunal had their poor outing under a peaceful Court sitting on June 20th during their cross-examinations. Or is it not glaring his outcry about insecurity is a mask to flee another failure?
Senator Bassey Albert’s many schemes to make the Tribunal insecure collapsed like a pack of cards. Instances of his antics were manifest in the horde of scrupulous elements parading as his supporters and making heavy presence in the Tribunal and its premises with unimaginable intent.
Their intentions got betrayed when a Camera man got attacked and his camera seized by Senator Bassey Albert’s security team.
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It was the Tribunal that intervened through the lead Counsel to the defendant, Paul Usoro, SAN before Senator Bassey Albert caused the Camera to be released to the photo-Journalist on the orders of the Tribunal.
It is pertinent to state that apart from the day the petitioner, Senator Bassey Albert came to the court, there has never been any problem at the Tribunal since the sittings began: And the alarm OBA is raising of being insecure is false as nobody has ever been harassed. None of the members of OBA’s legal team has ever complained of being unsafe. Besides, it is also true that apart from the 2 hours or less cross-examination of Senator Bassey Albert, he may not have any business to be in court again since he is the last person to testify and close his case.
The petition raised by Senator Bassey Albert about being insecure is false and baseless as an insecure area of the State Capital where the Tribunal sits could not have had strategic and critical government infrastructure like Judiciary Headquarters, office of the State Chief Judge, Akwa Ibom State Government House, the Governor’s Lodge, the State Area Command, the Correctional Service headquarters, the residence of the State Chief Judge, and the State Traditional Rulers Council (TRC) headquarters. Is this typical of an area that is insecure? The answer is NO.
The antics of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan is glaring that he is deploying delay tactics as teleguided by his acclaimed Abuja political war lords, Chief among them being the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Some of his media urchins like one Anny Michaels have boasted that the Senate President has assured them that the relocation of the Tribunal to Abuja will make manipulation of judgement in favour of the failed candidate of the YPP feasible.
Need we to say that it is no more hidden that Senators have a lot of influence on judges? The recent confession by Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa husband to the retired President of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa who confessed during the 9th Senate’s valedictory sitting of how he used to influence his wife to give judgements in favour of his colleagues (senators) is instructive here.
The Tribunal is almost through with its work and it’s unprofitable for anyone to conjecture its relocation to Abuja at the point it is.
We vehemently urge with genuine intentions that Your Lordships the Chief Judge of Nigeria, the President of the Court of Appeal as well as Akwa Ibom public should ignore OBA’s petition and allow the Tribunal to complete its assignment in Uyo.
Thanks for the consideration of our submissions and please accept the assurances of our highest regards.
Yours faithfully
Elder Ofonimeh Isong
Chairman- USDMPF
