Two sources within Nigeria’s apex court have told our correspondents that Supreme Court justices have been torn apart by a bizarre lawsuit instituted by Mr. Emmanuel Nnamdi (Andy) Uba, a former domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
One source revealed to us that Uba “has basically purchased Justices Aloysius Katsina-Alu and Nikki Tobi, and the two jurists have agreed to reverse the court’s earlier decision that sent Uba packing as governor of Anambra State, after spending only 17 days in office.
The Supreme Court source told Saharareporters that several other justices have voiced their shock that Katsina-Alu and Nikki Tobi are determined to bring scandal to the already shaky institution by engineering a reversal of a judgment handed down by a seven-man panel of the court.
Mr. Uba’s latest lawsuit is his second attempt to persuade the apex court to set aside a verdict that was widely hailed throughout Nigeria and beyond. Uba’s current appeal is predicated on an alleged defect in the appeal filed by Gov. Obi that led to Mr. Uba’s removal. He alleges that Obi’s appeal was filed beyond the statutorily mandated period.
In response to an earlier appeal, the same panel that removed Uba reaffirmed its judgment. The panel also poured insults on one Mr. Ifeanyi Okonkwo, a businessman who also filed a separate lawsuit asking the justices to reverse its verdict that reinstated Mr. Peter Obi as Anambra Governor. Mr. Okonkwo, believed to be sponsored by Mr. Uba, had drawn the justices’ ire after claiming in court that Gov. Obi had bribed him to withdraw as a respondent in the governor’s suit to reclaim office.
Our second source disclosed that Uba filed a second appeal at the apex court after hiring a lawyer known to have close social ties with Justice Katsina-Alu. “It’s this lawyer that was used to ‘reach’ both Justice Katsina-Alu and Nikki Tobi,” the source stated.
Once the two justices, known as the most corrupt duo in the apex court, accepted Uba’s bait, Nikki Tobi took advantage of the absence of Chief Justice Legbo Kutigi to constitute a five-man panel to quickly grant Uba’s appeal.
Our source said the Chief Justice, still reeling from the terrible fall-out of the court’s majority ruling that upheld Umaru Yar’adua’s presidential “election,” reportedly cautioned his colleagues against reversing the ruling that removed Uba, but Justice Tobi and Katsina-Alu remained adamant.
Our sources said the duo’s plan was thwarted when Uba’s lawyers refused to argue the case, but instead gave notice that he was protesting against the constitution of the panel.
Our source said that, had Ikpeazu made the mistake of arguing the case, the justices would have immediately issued a hasty judgment in Uba’s favor.
A group of senior police officers were already in Awka ostensibly for a meeting, but they were really drafted to coordinate and ensure Uba’s smooth sailing back to Government House, Awka.
With their game plan exposed, Justice Katsina-Alu and Tobi made a tactical retreat. When the case came up again for hearing, both justices were absent. They passed the ball to Justice Musdapher, who was then expected to grant Uba’s petition. Instead, a frazzled Justice Musdapher decided to adjourn the case to a date when Justices Katsina-Alu and Tobi can come to court. “Justice Musdapher basically decided that the two architects of Uba’s judicial coup should come and carry their dirty can by themselves,” said one of our highly reliable sources.
Our sources said that the two leading justices pocketed by Uba’s money have perfected a plan to go ahead and return him to office as governor. Our sources said other justices have challenged Tobi on his intended move to rubbish a well-received ruling of the court. “Justice Tobi’s reply was that he would return Uba to Government House even if the heavens fall,” said the source.
One of our sources said that the shocking decision to re-impose Uba as the governor could be delivered as early as this Thursday when the Tobi-constituted panel of the Supreme Court meets to consider Uba’s appeal.
A source close to Mr. Uba told our correspondent that the controversial former presidential aide was already in “a quiet celebration mode.” He said Uba has secured assurance that a majority decision would be in his favor. The source added that Uba was keeping sealed lips, “but if you’re around him you’ll know that he is in an expectant mood.”
The source said Uba had used a public relations practitioner and his media contacts to keep reports of his latest judicial expedition on the quiet side. “One of the justices working for him had told him pointedly that the major snag to returning him to office is that he has too many enemies in Anambra and other parts of Nigeria,” said this source.
One of our sources said the five justices have deceptively sent signals to Governor Obi that he has nothing to fear from Uba’s latest appeal, “but they are cooking a shocker for the world.”
A source at the National Judicial Council told our correspondent that the body had received a petition over the underhanded plot by members of Justice Nikki Tobi’s five-man panel to sell justice to the highest bidder.
A top lawyer in Abuja who is both a senior advocate and an Anambra indigene admitted that he had heard rumors about the Supreme Court’s plan to return Uba as governor. “I’ve chosen not to believe,” said the lawyer, adding that “there are enough right-minded jurists there to forestall such a plot.” He also contended that if the court grants Uba’s appeal “they may be throwing Anambra State back into turmoil – and we may be nearing the end of this democracy game.”
One of our Supreme Court sources said that Justice Niki Tobi has a long history of questionable conduct dating back to his days as a professor of law in Maiduguri. He said Tobi was forced to make a hasty exit from Maiduguri after he became entangled in an illicit affair with a married woman. He also revealed that Tobi has been claiming Rivers State as his state of origin, even though he is from Delta – where one of his sons is a sitting judge.
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