Eligibility to Contest Presidency: Amaechi to Know Fate May 27

Eligibility to Contest Presidency: Amaechi to Know Fate May 27

By Lawan Bukar Maigana

As the battle for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket gets more intense with a lot of heavyweights in the race, there are strong indications that not all the aspirants jostling for the prize have their eligibility confirmed yet.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who is among the key contenders, has an eligibility case, which borders on fraud, pending at the Supreme Court, POLITICS DIGEST can authoritatively report.

According to Politics Digest findings, the apex court will deliver judgement on the matter on May 27 and the judgement can make or mar Amaechi’s eligibility to contest for the highest office in the land, starting with the APC primaries which will take place between May 30 and May 31.

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The May 27 judgment will be on an appeal filed by Amaechi seeking to stop his probe by the Rivers state government on an alleged 96 billion naira fraud.

As it happened in the High Court and Appellate Court, if Amaechi loses again on May 27, the Rivers state government will proceed to prosecute him and may institute a process that will render him legally unfit to hold elective offices at state and national levels, and this may throw spanner in the works of his presidential ambition especially if he clinches the APC ticket few days later.

Justice Olukayode Ariwoola had during the last hearing weeks ago announced the date of judgement after lawyers to parties adopted their written briefs and made final submissions in the appeal.

A seven-member panel of Justices of the apex court headed by Justice Ariwoola heard the appeal by Amaechi, marked: SC/911/2017, with the Rivers state government and nine others as respondents.

Adopting the briefs he filed for Amaechi, his lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal, while counsel to Rivers state, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

Amaechi’s suit at the High Court of Rivers State and Court of Appeal had earlier been dismissed prompting him to approach the apex court.

The Transport Minister is seeking to stop his probe in alleged N96 billion fraud in relation to the state government’s claim that he fraudulently sold the state’s assets.

Some of the assets, Politics Digest gathered are Omoku Gas Turbine, Afam Gas Turbine, Trans Amadi Gas Turbine, Eleme Gas Turbine, Olympia Hotel and the award of contract for the execution of MonoRail Project.

He had challenged the decision by his successor, Nyesom Wike, to constitute a seven-man panel to probe his eight-year tenure as governor on the ground that the planned probe was aimed at witch-hunting, embarrassing and humiliating him.

The River State government, had on October 9, 2015, presented a white paper demanding the prosecution of Amaechi and some former political office holders for the misappropriation of 97 billion naira in the sale of the state’s valued assets.

The Judicial Commission was chaired by Honourable Justice George Omereji.

Amaechi had in an elaborate ceremony held at the Adokiye Amasiamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on April 9 announced his intention to run for the office of the President, saying he is the healthiest and most physically fit among the aspirants jostling to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.