The zoom ruling of the Appeal Court presided over by Hon. Justice Baba Idris on Friday 17th November,2023 which was pronounced against the elected representative for Amuwo-Odofin constituency 2 Hon. Doherty Olukoya David has been described as one judgement for which a huge price was allegedly paid by the Lagos State Governor Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Investigation revealed that ever since the Labour Party clearly won elections in the whole of Amuwo-Odofin Federal Constituency, the ruling party- All Progressives Congress made a vow that they will forcefully steal the mandates from the rightful owners as given by the people.
A source who pleaded anonymity declared that: “APC will make sure the forty-members in the Lagos State House of Assembly are all APC, they will obliterate Labour in that house soon. Owing to the fact that Rauf-Age Sulaimon is close to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, he will do everything possible to bring him back to the house, not minding the fact that Labour won that seat initially.”
True to this above assertive stance, the Hon. Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua who presided over the case ab initio was changed owing to her thorough and clear-headed analysis of the case and Hon. Justice Baba Idris was handed the baton to do the bidding of the APC.
It would be recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu case at the Appeal Court was ruled in his favour on the grounds that it was a pre-election matter and that was not done in a virtual manner, but that of Hon. Doherty which had been a physical court process from the start ended virtual only Labour Party faithful were in court on the set day, as against the usual crowd of APC members none was in sight because they have been duly informed about the hatchet job that will be done.
The price paid for the shoddy job done by the Lordship of the Appeal Court-Baba Idris on Friday was his elevation as part of the twenty-two listed as Supreme Court of Nigeria Judges on Thursday which the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) duly forwarded to the National Judicial Council (NJC) for ratification, a reliable source disclosed that his recommendation was further bolstered by the support of Governor Sanwo-Olu placing him on priority list for doing his bidding.
The said list of newly elevated judges availed below with their status attached as either priority or reserved.
SOUTH-EAST:
1. Nwaoma Uwa (Abia State) – Priority
1A. Onyekachi Otisi (Abia State) – Reserve
2. Obande Ogbuinya (Ebonyi State) – Priority
2A. Theresa Orji-Abadua (Imo State) – Reserve
3. Anthony Ogakwu (Enugu State) – Priority
3A. Chioma Nwosu-lheme (Imo State) – Reserve
SOUTH-SOUTH:
1. Moore Adumein (Bayelsa State) – Priority
1A. Biobele Georgewill (Rivers State) – Reserve
SOUTH-WEST:
1. Adewale Abiru (Lagos State) – Priority
1A. Olubunmi Oyewole (Osun State) – Reserve
NORTH-CENTRAL:
1. Jummai Sankey (Plateau State) – Priority
1A. Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo (Plateau) – Reserve
2. Stephen Adah (Kogi State) – Priority
2A. Ridman Maiwada Abdullahi (Nassarawa State) – Reserve
3. Baba Idris (Niger State) – Priority
3A. Joseph Ikyegh (Benue State) – Reserve
NORTH-EAST:
1. Haruna Tsammani (Bauchi State) – Priority
1A. Abubakar Talba (Adamawa State) – Reserve
NORTH-WEST:
1. Muhammad Lawal Shuaibu (Jigawa State) – Priority
1A. Bello Aliyu (Zamfara State) – Reserve
2. Abubakar Sadiq Umar (Kebbi State) – Priority
2A. Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero (Kano State) – Reserve