STRANGE REQUEST FROM NGIGE

You must have heard the curious demand of Chris Ngige following the judgement of the Pius Damulak-led elections petitions tribunal in Awka which upheld the election of Peter Obi.

Ngige and his Action Congress are asking the president of the appeal court to reconstitute the Anambra State elections petition panel simply because it gave judgement in favour of Obi against the Hope Democratic Party, HDP, which had sought the tribunal to nullify Obi's election on the grounds that he did not get the require 1/4 votes in 2/3 of the 21 local government areas of the state.

According to Ngige and his party, AC, they no longer have confidence in the ability of the panel to remain unbiased in deciding other similar cases still pending. Now, what does Ngige hope to accomplish by this action? Let's imagine a scenario where the panel is reconstituted because of one judgement. Then, the new one comes in and gives judgement on another case against Ngige's interest.

Again, Ngige asks for the reconstitution of that one. They are then reconstituted and a third tribunal panel comes on board. If that one gives another 'unfavourable' judgement, will Ngige again ask for its reconstitution simply because other similar cases will be endangered?

We all know that the justice system is no Father Christmas. Neither Is it a yoyo that dances to which ever direction it is pushed. But Ngige in his desperation for power is trying to do all of this. Recall that in the elections petition cases in 2003 where judgement was given on many cases, no one asked for the reconstitution of the panel because the judgement would injure other similar cases. Of course, doing that would have amounted to ridiculing our judiciary.

Now, Ngige wants us to believe that the judiciary is an Atilogwu dancer that can be manipulated by the beating of his drums. This was the same Ngige that praised the tribunal whenever it gave favourable rulings in his case. But because he has seen there is no hope for him, he now labels them biased.