Chrys
The supreme court has accused the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) of using social media to bully and terrorise justices.
Inyang Okoro, justice of the supreme court, spoke on Friday
while delivering judgment in an appeal filed by the PDP seeking to void the
election of President-elect Bola Tinubu on the grounds that his running mate,
Kashim Shettima, was guilty of double nomination.
The five-member panel of the apex court dismissed the appeal
and held that the appellant had no locus standi to institute the suit.
Okoro held that the appellant tried to mislead the apex
court by claiming that the lower court found that there was indeed a double
nomination.
“The appellant stated
to this court that the court below found that there was indeed double
nomination and that the 4th respondent knowingly allowed himself to be
nominated in two constituencies,” Okoro said.
“I have searched the entirety of the record and indeed the
judgement of the court below and there is no such finding. To think that
learned senior counsel will mislead the court is sad.
“For public policy sake, I must state that indeed the 4th
(Shettima) respondent withdrew from the nomination for Borno central district
on the 6th of July 2022 exhibited as exhibit APC 1 on page 58 of the record of
appeal.
“The political party
sent to the INEC same 6th of July, 2022 the notice of withdrawal. The political
party further sent on the 10th of July 2022, a notification of dates for the
conduct of fresh primaries for the senatorial district and the latter letter
exhibit APC2 on page 59 of the record carried the reference of Exhibit APC1.
“That is as at the 6th of July, 2022 there was no longer
nomination of the 4th respondent for Borno central senatorial distict and there
could not have been double nomination on the 14th of July 2022.
“Using the social media to terrorize and bully the justices
of the supreme court by the appellant is appalling and unprofessional.
“The appeal is without merit and is dismissed. I abide by
the award of cost in the lead judgement.”
