The Labour Party has issued a statement expressing deep concern and disappointment regarding the Supreme Court’s handling of their appeal in the Presidential Election case involving their candidate, Mr Peter Obi.
According to the party, the Supreme Court delivered a judgment in another case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before addressing the Labour Party’s appeal.
The LP said it finds the court’s decision to verbally declare that the PDP’s judgment would apply to their case unacceptable.
The party alleged that despite their efforts to obtain a certified true copy of the judgment, the Supreme Court has not provided them with the decision, a constitutional right guaranteed under Section 294(1) of the Constitution.
Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, the National Secretary of the Labour Party, signed the statement, expressing disappointment and regarding the Supreme Court’s conduct as a breach of their constitutional right to a fair hearing.
Part of the statement read:
”The Supreme Court issued a hearing notice dated 25th October 2023, notifying the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate in the Presidential Election, Mr Peter Obi, that judgment would be delivered in their appeal to the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC/CV/937/2023 on Thursday, 26th October, 2023.
”On the 26th of October, 2023, LP and her lawyers were in Court. The Supreme Court proceeded to read the judgment in Appeal No. SC/CV/935/2023 filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
”After that, the Presiding Justice, His Lordship John Inyang Okoro JSC, verbally stated that the decision in the LP appeal would abide by the judgment just delivered in respect of the PDP appeal!
”The LP finds the position taken by the Supreme Court regarding the judgment in her appeal extraordinary, terribly shocking, most unprecedented and unacceptable.
”The LP finds it very embarrassing and depressing that the Supreme Court would, after hearing the appeal by our party, refuse to deliver any judgment and also fail to avail our party of any copy of whatever it considers to be its decision.
”With every sense of responsibility, the LP believes that the Supreme Court’s conduct is regrettable and unprecedented. This constitutes an unmitigated breach of the constitutional right of LP and her candidate to a fair hearing.”
Willie