A monitoring group has frowned at the verdicts of the apex court in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states which it described as a support of electoral robberies.
Nigeria’s Supreme Court has provoked the most unsparing criticism so far over its shocking decisions on governorship election disputes, most especially in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, according to SaharaReporters.
Leading election monitors in Nigeria, The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, in a statement today accused the Supreme Court of “legalising electoral robberies,” with the judgments which validated the victories of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State in the 2015 general elections.
According to the group, the Supreme Court had by the verdicts refused to give judgments to the people of the two states whose will have been subverted by politicians.
The apex court had last week upturned the decision of the Appeal Court which nullified the election of Governor Wike of Rivers State. Also, the apex court also reversed the nullification of the electoral victories of Governor Udom by the Court of Appeal yesterday.
The apex court is yet to give reasons for the reversal of the judgments of the appellate court which was based on complaints of massive violence and electoral malpractices during the election.
“As the foremost election observation coalition in the country, we see the Supreme Court judgments as clear cut attempts at legalising electoral robberies. These judgments, particularly on Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, have merely given judicial imprimatur to the damaging mind set of rapacious politicians who would stop at nothing in their bid to subvert the will of the people.