The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has carpeted the Supreme Court for what it called “its shameful failure to comprehensively review the judgement it gave in the governorship tussle between the dethroned Governor Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

In its reaction to the dismissal by six out of the seven panelists of the Supreme Court which rejected the prayers of the erstwhile Governor Ihedioha, HURIWA said the apex court under the mismanaged leadership of the Chief Justice Muhammad Tanko has thrown away an opportunity on the platter of gold to remedy a damage it inflicted on its reputation for ever.

The rights group said the Supreme Court cannot justify the grave error it committed by validating results from polling centers that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not authenticate thereby legalising over-voting and awarding victory to the APC’s Uzodinma who came fourth in the contest.

HURIWA however commended Justice Santus Nweze who gave the minority judgment and corrected the errors done in the morally-challenged verdict originally issued by Justice Kekere-Ekun in the judgment which was unsuccessfully chalenged in the dismissed application for review.

The rights group said although the effort by Justice Nweze was insufficient to amend the errors of the Supreme Court, it stands applauded for acknowledging the widely held position that the first judgment was fundamentally faulty.

HURIWA recalled that the Supreme Court has dismissed an application filed by Mr Emeka Ihedioha.

In the suit, Mr Ihedioha asked the apex court to review its judgement which sacked him as the governor of Imo State.

A seven-man panel of judges led by Chief Justice Muhammad, dismissed the suit on Monday.

HURIWA however asked Governor Uzodinma to move quickly to restore governance in Imo state which has been absent since the judgement that brought him into office was controversially made.

HURIWA also expressed the hope that the good people of Imo state will accept the distasteful judgment for the sake of peace in the state.

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