The Supreme Court yesterday in Abuja gave a red card to moves by the Ali Modu-Sheriff’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The apex court struck out all the 14 multiple interlocutory motions brought against the ruling of the Court of Appeal allowing Mr. Eyitayo Jegede to appeal the October 14, 2016 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to replace his name with Jimoh Ibrahim’s as the Ondo State governorship candidate for tomorrow’s election.
This was the second time the apex court intervened in the matter. The first was on Tuesday this week when it directed the panel of the Court of Appeal to proceed and deliver its reserved judgment.
In a unanimous ruling delivered by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Supreme Court struck out all the 14 motions on the ground that they have been overtaken by event. He held that the interlocutory motions have become academic because the Court of Appeal had already delivered judgment in the matter that produced the motions.
The apex court directed the appellants to appeal against the final judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on Wednesday by the Justice Ibrahim Saulawa-led three-member panel.
Specifically, Justice Onnoghen said it will be better and safer for the 14 motions to be embedded in their appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal if they have any.
The apex court said that there was no point hearing the motions in piece-meal when a final judgment had already been delivered by the appellate court. (The Sun)