Why Supreme Court sacked Hembe – Lawyer

A lawyer in the appeal which challenged and eventually
overturned the election of Herman Hembe has attributed the success
of the appeal to the attention paid to the case by the Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Barrister Chidi Nwankwo, who represented Dorothy Mato in the
appeal which challenged Hembe’s seat as member of House of
Representatives for Vandekya/Konshisa Federal Constituency of Benue
State, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the
Supreme Court verdict.

He said the CJN ensured the matter, and all other electoral
matters were dealt with expeditiously with the aim of doing
substantial justice, adding that the CJN presided over the apex
court appeal panel and read the lead judgment.

“It is the triumph of substantial justice over technicality, and
that thanked God that evil plan to exclude his client by relocating
the venue of the primary has failed,” he said.

A five member panel of justices yesterday held that Dorathy Mato
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the winner of the March
28, 2015 National Assembly election for the constituency and
directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued
Hembe.

In a lead judgment by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),
Justice Walter Onnoghen, the apex court unanimously ordered the
Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Clerk of the House
to immediately swear-in Mato.

Hembe, who was the committee chairman on FCT, was further
ordered to “refund all the salaries/allowances and or emoluments he
collected while occupying the seat in the House of Representatives
within 90 days of this order to the House of Representatives.”

The Supreme Court said there was nothing to contradict the
report of the Electoral Appeal Committee on the principles of
rotation and therefore unfair for Konshisha Local Government Area
to also take the House seat having already taken the Senate seat
through Senator Barnabas Gemade.

Mato had through his counsel Chidi Nwankwo challenged the
decision of the Court of Appeal in Makurdi which dismissed hirer
appeal against Hembe on the grounds that it breached the report of
the Election Appeal Committee report and Article 13.4(ix), 14(iii)
and (viii), 18(iv) and 29 (iv) (d) of the APC.

A lawyer in the appeal which challenged and eventually
overturned the election of Herman Hembe has attributed the success
of the appeal to the attention paid to the case by the Chief
Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Barrister Chidi Nwankwo, who represented Dorothy Mato in the
appeal which challenged Hembe’s seat as member of House of
Representatives for Vandekya/Konshisa Federal Constituency of Benue
State, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the
Supreme Court verdict.

He said the CJN ensured the matter, and all other electoral
matters were dealt with expeditiously with the aim of doing
substantial justice, adding that the CJN presided over the apex
court appeal panel and read the lead judgment.

“It is the triumph of substantial justice over technicality, and
that thanked God that evil plan to exclude his client by relocating
the venue of the primary has failed,” he said.

A five member panel of justices yesterday held that Dorathy Mato
of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the winner of the March
28, 2015 National Assembly election for the constituency and
directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued
Hembe.

In a lead judgment by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),
Justice Walter Onnoghen, the apex court unanimously ordered the
Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Clerk of the House
to immediately swear-in Mato.

Hembe, who was the committee chairman on FCT, was further
ordered to “refund all the salaries/allowances and or emoluments he
collected while occupying the seat in the House of Representatives
within 90 days of this order to the House of Representatives.”

The Supreme Court said there was nothing to contradict the
report of the Electoral Appeal Committee on the principles of
rotation and therefore unfair for Konshisha Local Government Area
to also take the House seat having already taken the Senate seat
through Senator Barnabas Gemade.

Mato had through his counsel Chidi Nwankwo challenged the
decision of the Court of Appeal in Makurdi which dismissed hirer
appeal against Hembe on the grounds that it breached the report of
the Election Appeal Committee report and Article 13.4(ix), 14(iii)
and (viii), 18(iv) and 29 (iv) (d) of the APC.