Following Thursday’s ruling of the appellate court which upheld the ruling of the lower tribunal that declared Governor Yahaya Bello as the governor of Kogi state, James Abiodun Faleke, the All Progressives Congress, APC, deputy governorship candidate in the November 21, 2015 governorship election has instructed his lawyers to proceed to the Supreme Court to appeal against the latest judgment describing it as political judgement.
In a statement issued by his Director Media, Hon. Duro Meseko, shortly after the judgment was delivered, Faleke stated that he disagrees with the judgment, hence his decision to express his constitutional right by challenging the Appeal Court judgment at the Supreme Court.
According to the statement, “this judgement as you all can see is a political judgement and cannot stand the test of time.
“We strongly condemn the judgement and believe that the Supreme Court that is the custodian of Nigeria constitution and the court of the people would do justice to our case.”
Faleke decried what he called the undue political influence being exerted on the judges by some highly placed government officials in the Presidency, calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately call them to order.
“I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to do justice to Nigerians, to do justice to Kogites by immediately calling his ministers and other top government officials to order especially the Minister of Justice, Malami who has been advising government wrongly on these issues. The day before the lower Tribunal gave judgement, June 5, 2016, Malami granted an interview in The Nation Newspaper where he analysed the Kogi Tribunal issue and what he said was exactly what the judges did the following day”.
Faleke said it was inconceivable that the president who has been complaining to global audiences on the nation,s judiciary would find it difficult to rein in his ministers who are interfering in judicial issues”.
He said it was curious for the Appeal Court to hold that INEC manual for elections has a coordinate locus as the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Citing section 187 of the constitution, Faleke said it was wrong for the Appellate court to rule that he could not be declared winner because he did not participate in the primaries since the Constitution already recognises Deputy Governorship candidates as “candidates” who in the eyes of the law have participated in primaries.
Faleke however expressed elation that the Court of Appeal ruled on the vexed issue of locus standi declaring that he has locus to challenge the outcome of the election.
Faleke appealed to his supporters to be calm and go about their normal businesses, saying that, “at last, victory shall be ours at the Supreme Court.”
