An End to Litigation …

NOTES FOR FILE

The decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking to nullify the election that brought the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma and his deputy, Prof. Placid Njoku, to office last Monday was encouraging. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, who delivered the judgment, held that the applicant, Mcfyne Chikwedu, had no locus standi, adding that the suit was patently ‘non-justiciable.’

The judge also noted that Uzodimma’s election had been affirmed by the Supreme Court and that his court was not an election tribunal that could sit on appeal over elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He then ordered Chikwedu to pay INEC N250,000 as cost for bringing such a frivolous and meaningless suit to the court for adjudication.

Chikwedu’s suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1085/2020, had alleged that the governor did not meet the constitutional requirement to be declared winner of the March 9 gubernatorial election of Imo State.

Justice Taiwo, no doubt, did well to have dismissed the suit. There must be an end to litigation. Uzodimma should be allowed to concentrate on governance. Those who want him removed from office should wait till 2023 when INEC will conduct another election for the seat. Trying to use the lower courts when the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court, had already affirmed his election would amount to embarking on a journey to nowhere.

Recall that immediately the Supreme Court sacked Emeka Ihedioha, all attempts by him and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make the court to reverse its decision failed. This is why it is surprising that Chikwedu would embark on this journey to waste the time of the Federal High Court, which clearly does not have the jurisdiction to hear the case. Going forward, any frivolous suit like Chikwedu’s should attract a stiffer fine and not the meagre fine he was ordered to pay.