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Supreme Court of Nigeria
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a suit filed against Emeka Martins, representing Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency of Imo State, alleging that he supplied false and dishonest information on himself in his affidavits and documents submitted to the electoral commission, INEC.
Delivering judgment, a five-member panel of justices led by Bode Rhodes-Vivour, dismissed the appeal and asked all parties to bear their costs.
Mr Rhodes-Vivour, therefore, held that Mr Martins is fit to hold any elective office of trust or be elected into the House of Representatives.
Nnanna Igbokwe alleged that Mr Martins submitted false information to INEC in Form CF 001, and on that basis, he ought not to have been fit and proper to run for the election.
He alleged that some of the documents submitted by Mr Martins bear Emeka Chinedu while others bear Emeka Chinedu Martins.
Speaking to journalists after the judgment, Mr Martins said that the judiciary was the last hope for the common man.
He said that the day’s judgement given by the apex court has given hope to the common man.
“I say this based on the judgement given today by the Supreme Court. I have witnessed with my eyes that the judiciary is truly independent and can’t be influenced, and that is what we need in Nigeria.
“Today is a new dawn for me, and I’m happy that the matter has been dismissed,“ he added.
NAN reports that the Court of Appeal in the Owerri judicial division had also delivered judgment against Mr Igbokwe, on May 11.
Emeka Ozoani, counsel to Mr Martins said, “the Supreme Court has approached the issues on the basis of the fourth alteration to the 1999 constitution, as amended, and inevitably came to the conclusion that the appellant’s suit was caught up by the limitation law under section 285 sub section 9 of the fourth alteration and ultimately dismissed the appeal.
“What that means now is that we have to return to Imo to continue with the substantive post-election matters filled by the same Igbokwe against my client (Martins).
“The case ran all the way from the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal and to the supreme court and has been laid to rest this morning.” (NAN)
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