Amaechi’s Lawyers Go InTo Hiding …

over threat to their lives

As the legal battle between the newly sworn-in Governor of Rivers State, Sir Celestine Omehia and the out-going Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is set to continue, there are reports that the legal team of Amechi may have gone into hiding for fear of being attacked by some supporters of Omehia who are not happy that the lawyers have perfected plots to ensure that Amaechi wins the case at the Supreme Court despite the fact that the sluggish attitude of the Court of Appeal had made it possible for Omehia to take over from his predecessor while the case is still pending in Court. According to reports reaching our news desk, Amaechi’s lawyers had refused all entreaties by the former Governor, Peter Odili to hands off the matter even at the offer of huge sums of money. The seeming unrepentant position of the lawyers who are convinced that ‘‘though the road to justice may be sluggish and rough but it would definitely come’’ has further irked some close associates of the Governor who were said to have looked for an easier way out. They were alleged to have taken the option of attacking the key supporters of Amaechi including his lawyers particularly, Mr. Steeve Dappa-Addo. As a result of the threats, Dappa-Addo and his group have decided to keep away from Port Harcourt until the determination of the matter at the Supreme Court. It is also being speculated that the death threat may be a ploy to deter the lawyers from appearing before the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt where they have also filed a petition against the certificate of return presented to Omehia by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC since a Court of competent jurisdiction had earlier ruled that the substitution of Amaechi’s name with Omehia was sub judice and the action set aside. Though Omehia has taken his oath of service as the newly elected Governor of Rivers State, his fate still lies in the balance until the Supreme Court decides on who is the rightful candidate of the election won by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Meanwhile, supporters of Amaechi have blamed their woes on former Governor Odili’s wife, Justice Mary Odili, JCA, who is alleged to have largely influenced her colleagues in the Appeal Court to slow down the pace of judgement since she was bent on stopping Amaechi at all cost.

The allegations seemed true as the Appeal Court had earlier declined jurisdiction on the matter due to Amaechi’s  purported expulsion from the PDP, an action which the Supreme Court had condemned in its judgement and had ordered that the matter be remitted back to the Appeal Court for hearing on the merit and must be done expeditiously. Rather than abide by the orders of the Supreme Court’s judgement as given by a seven-man panel led by Justice Katsina Alu, the presiding Judge, Justice Daudu Mohammed of the Appeal Court delivered what was described as the most ridiculous judgement when he granted Omehia’s plea for a stay of proceedings on the grounds that judgement of the Supreme Court did not give reasons despite the fact that there was an enrolled Order in the ruling.Shockingly, out of the five-man panel which was to hear the matter, only two of the judges appeared on the day of the ruling which kind of paved way for Omehia’s swearing-in. Justices Mohammed and Abdu  Aboki were surprisingly guests of the Odili’s  the  next day in Port Harcourt to attend Odili’s valedictory speech.This further confirmed the allegations that the Judges had been bought by Odili through the instrumentality of his wife to deny Amaechi justice despite the fact that there is a precedence where a similar matter had been ruled upon by both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court.Though the appellate Court had ordered Omehia to seek clarification of the judgement within seven days, but counsel for Amaechi, Lateef Fagbemi has fled an appeal against the judgement at the Supreme Court. In his appeal, Fagbemi contended that the appellate Court had erred in depending on oral submission of Omehia’s lawyer rather than hear the matter expeditiously on its merit as ordered by the apex Court. He is also asking the Supreme Court to hear and decide on the matter since the Appeal Court has shown incompetence. Hearing on the matter is expected soon as the Supreme Court is yet to give a date on the matter. Meanwhile, analysts have described the action of the Appeal Court as a delay tactics aimed at ensuring that Omehia gets sworn-in. They also described it as an insult on the Supreme Court while most persons believe that the apex Court would now prefer to decide on the main appeal.       

Odili Renders Amaechi Homeless …revokes his property

In what may look like a parting gift, former Gov. Peter Odili of Rivers State has taken his battle with his estranged political son too far when few hours to his exit from office, he decided to revoke the Certificate of Occupation of a property allotted to the out-going Speaker, Rotimi Amaechi. Amaechi’s friends and supporters who had gone to his house to move his properties from his official residence to the new place were shocked on to learn that the said house which is located on plot 62B Number 67 Forces Avenue which was allocated to Amaechi by the Rivers State Government had been revoked in the early hours of Tuesday, May 29, 2007.This left them with no choice but to move his properties to their individual homes until when an alternative place is acquired or rented since Amaechi has been taken refuge outside the shores of the country since he went to Court to challenge the decision of the PDP to drop him as the governorship candidate in Rivers State on reason of error, contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2006.Many persons who got wind of the action of the former governor descried it as being unfair. One of them who spoke to us said, ‘Why has Odili taken such a draconian step? I thought he should reflect on his failed dreams instead of making enemies. Tell Amaechi to be calm God will fight for him.’’ It is not clear why Odili chose to take such steps but sources say it may not be unconnected with the pending Court case in which Amaechi decided to continue with the matter despite attempts by Odili to stop him. It would be recalled that Odili had fallen out with his kinsman, Victor Odili, who was one of the major financiers of his campaign in 1998, prior to his becoming governor. Odili on assumption of office revoked some of the properties acquired by Victor Odili from past Governments in the state. The relationship has since been strained.