Kayode Ajulo, a human rights lawyer, says Rotimi Amaechi,
former minister of transportation, is not eligible to contest for the 2023
presidential election.
In a statement on Friday, Ajulo said section 137 (1)(i) of
the 1999 constitution prohibits Amaechi from running for office owing to the
allegation of N96 billion fraud against him.
Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, had set up a seven-man
panel to probe Amaechi over the alleged withdrawal of N96 billion from the
state’s treasury during his tenure as governor.
The panel was said to have indicted some persons, including
the former governor.
Amaechi then filed a lawsuit against the decision of the
panel and the panel itself. The suit went from the high court to the appeal
court and to the supreme court.
The supreme court on May 27, dismissed the appeal and
ordered Amaechi to pay N1 million to the respondents.
The apex court, however, held that panels of inquiry are not
judicial institutions and do not have the powers of a law court to adjudicate
over issues or indict. The court described them as ”merely investigative”.
According to Ajulo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will
be taking a great risk by handing over its presidential ticket to the former
minister.
“It is a well-known fact that Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi is one
of the presidential aspirants of the APC and as such, the indictment and the
subsequent White Paper with recommended prosecution as well as the judgement of
the supreme court touches on core objectives of the APC party to produce the
next president for our great country Nigeria,” Ajulo said.
“According to Section 137 (1)(i) of the 1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended): Anyone that “has been indicted
for embezzlement or fraud by a Judicial Commission of Inquiry or an
Administrative Panel of Inquiry or a Tribunal set up under the Tribunals of
Inquiry Act, or a Tribunals of Inquiry Law or any other law by Federal or State
Government which indictment has been accepted by the Federal or State
Government respectively”…… stands disqualified to be sworn in as president of
the federal republic of Nigeria.”
“Therefore, though Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has not yet been
tried by a law court in respect of the accused fraud and embezzlement, the
provision of Section 137 (1) (i) of the 1999 Constitution has already
disqualified him.
“The APC party will
be taking the risk of handing over power to the next candidate with the highest
votes if they put Hon. Rotimi Amaechi forward as their flag bearer and he wins.
“Likewise, the option of also handing him over as the vice
president will not fly as the APC Party will suffer the menace of the same ill
fate that befell the APC governor-elect of Bayelsa state in 2020, Hon. David
Lyon who was disqualified by the supreme court on the basis that his deputy
Hon. Biobarakuma Degi –Eremienyo presented false information to INEC to aid his
qualifications for the state’s governorship election, this is a clear
reinforcement that the ticket is a joint ticket and the disqualification of one
member of the ticket disqualifies the joint ticket; a fate far too costly for
the APC party to bear at the national level.
“Committing to mind that the presidential race for the
election year 2023 has been picked up by all and sundry, other political
opponents will very much ecstatic to see APC commit this grave error.
“It is apposite that the APC party takes all necessary steps
to ensure that due diligence is carried out on all the party’s presidential
candidates. The future of our great nation Nigeria is in our hands to mould,
mend and take to greater heights and it will be most regretful if this
opportunity is lost on issues that are avoidable.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com