By Monday Oviawe
Following
the ignominious dissolution and dismissal of the former “compromised”
Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, headed by….incumbent
governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, has been called upon to throw
in the towel of surrender “and admit the obvious, now that he still has
time, so as to stop the wastage of state resources that are being
channelled into the legal rigmarole surrounding his non-qualification
allegation to have contested the July 14, 2012 Edo State gubernatorial
election.”
In an exclusive interview with The Navigator, last
week, on his reactions to the dissolution of the former tribunal, Owere
Dickson Imasogie, frontline supporter of Major-General Charles
Airhiavbere, rtd., candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in
the July 14, 2012 election, maintained that to have a modest family
background and being encumbered or hindered by a lack of ready access to
functional education at a given time in the past, should really not be
something to be ashamed of, if one were able to courageously brace up,
stoically, to face the naked facts and weather the turbulent storms of
life as it progresses.
Said
he: “It really wouldn’t take much away from you if you owned up to the
truth and facts of life. A gentleman should be ready to admit his
mistakes and resolve to take a stand against what is morally wrong.
Today, Salisu Buhari, the former Speaker of the Federal House of
Representatives, who was brought down from such heights as a result of
questionable educational qualifications, is enjoying a quiet private
life after he had gone back to school to straighten his academic records
shortly after the problems he had. That is a gentleman.
“Oshiomhole
should give himself the respect of following in the footprints of
Buhari and Ewerem. We are not all fortunate to get early education. It
is not a curse. But what is bad is when someone goes to forge a
certificate he did not even study for. One should be honest enough to
tell the people who one is. There are so many embarrassing hurdles
awaiting him, so many questions he should provide answers to by the time
the tribunal begins to hear the case proper. That is why they are
trying to waste time. Oshiomhole knows. If I were in his shoes, I would
throw in the towel now.”
Owere
Imasogie maintained that he was not in any way surprised that the
former tribunal was dismissed and reconstituted because “right from day
one, we had expressed dissatisfaction at the conduct of the tribunal
members, who seemed hell-bent on frustrating our own efforts, without
truly considering the kernel of our case.” He noted that he expected
the dissolution and saw it coming, especially as Major General
Airhiavbere, rtd., had written to the Judicial Council, complaining
bitterly at the way the former tribunal gave its ruling of September,
27, 2012.
In
his words: “The former Tribunal did not even look at the amended
constitution, which cured some of the defects of the old constitution.
Like last year, so many cases lapsed because of the 180-day period to
finish hearing any electoral case. The lawmakers, in their wisdom,
amended the constitution to the effect that no matter the
technicalities, judges should finish the case within 180 days; and when
there are interlocutory pleadings, judges should take it along and give
ruling, the same time, with the main case, so that such a case would not
be thrown off on technicalities, and to give room for people to be
heard.
“Unfortunately,
the former tribunal knew what they were aiming at. They wanted us to
go to the Appeal Court, and that before we returned the 180 days would
be gone! That was their aim. They knew they were very wrong by not
following the law. They were very wrong reading Section 138 of the
constitution, which myself, who is not even a lawyer, can read and
understand. Even when our counsel cited Supreme Court authorities, they
failed to listen to it. So, they got what they bargained for; I am
only hoping the worst would come to them, because what they did was
recklessly obvious. Happily, however, we still have a long enough time
for this case to be concluded; and victory will be ours.”
The
Edo South PDP stalwart, while reiterating his implicit confidence in
the judiciary, “as the last hope of the common man,” to triumph over
forces that trample on his rights with impunity, stressing that those
who killed by the sword would also die by the sword. “Oshiomhole came
in through the court; he also will go, through the court! He knows, he
knows. Flamboyant Oshiomhole is no more talking! Assuming he even went
to the University, which he didn’t, he couldn’t have done that without a
Primary Six certificate. Let him show us his Primary School
Certificate!” he demanded.
Owere
Imasogie urged supporters of Major General Charles Airhiavbere rtd., to
remain steadfast and prayerful, insisting that “Osadebay Avenue is our
destination.”
TheNavigator
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