The Abia State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, endorsed Thursday Court of Appeal judgement that discharged the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from 15 count charges preferred against him by Federal Government.
The party, in its reaction released by its state Vice Chairman and Acting Publicity Secretary, Abraham Amah, described the verdict as cheering, noting that it came at a time Nigeria is in dire need of healing. He said the ruling would necessarily unite the country and harness benefits of its diversity.
According to the party, the court ruling has also reinforced its belief that the judiciary is the hope of the common man. Abia PDP, however, described, as unfortunate, reports that the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, and the National Security Council, saying the Appeal Court merely discharged Kanu, but did not acquit him; and that Federal Government is looking for other options to continue to incarcerate him.
Amah said: “At a time like this, the best we can do is to urge Federal Government to obey the court, and show it has respect for the rule of law, which is one of the pillars on which our democracy stands.”
SPECIAL Counsel for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr. Aloy Ejimakor, has confirmed to The Guardian that his client has filed an appeal against the Federal High Court judgement proscribing IPOB on the basis of being a terrorist organisation.
He said that the appeal was the result his client’s dissatisfaction with the decision of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja as contained in the ruling of Justice A. Abdul-Jafarati in Suit No FHC/ABJ/871/2017, which was delivered on January 18, 2018. Ejimakor stated that the proposed notice and grounds of appeal were set out in paragraph 3, which will, during the Appeal Court hearing, feature seeking reliefs, which his client set out therein.
He said his client is against the ruling of the trial court on two broad grounds. On ground one, he said the trial judge erred in law when he ruled that “the Attorney General, in his ex-parte application, exhibited documents showing existence of threat to national security by the Respondent/Applicant, and, accordingly, made the order.”
According to Ejimakor, the reliefs his client seeks from the Court Appeal are an order granting leave to the Interested Party/Applicant to appeal the ruling of the lower court delivered on January 18, 2018, on the grounds set out on the Interested Party/Applicant’s Proposed Notice and Grounds of Appeal filed herewith any such further order or orders as this court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
Lolo Ijeoma Njoku Obinwannem News Writer/ Oct 17, 2022
