Chime’s loss is miscarriage of justice – Onoh

Jude Ossai, Enugu - 20.01.2008

Chief Christian Chukwuma Onoh has described the electoral tribunal ruling in Enugu that nullified the election of Governor Sullivan Chime as a miscarriage of justice.

While berating the tribunal in a chat with newsmen on Friday night shortly after the joint meeting of the Southeast governors and the leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, held at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, Onoh said he could imagine why the tribunal called for a fresh election in the state.

Wondering why the same tribunal upheld the election of the immediate past governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, whereas the ex-governor allegedly supervised the gubernatorial election, which he alleged, was declared invalid due to irregularities.

The former National Party of Nigeria (NPN) governor likened the scenario of the tribunal’s judgment to the court conviction of a bus conductor for an accident that claimed life of a passenger in which the driver of that vehicle was acquitted and discharged in the same offence.

“I shall lead the campaign for the return of Governor Sullivan Chime to office. Why should the tribunal uphold the election of Senator Chimaroke Namani whereas it nullified that of Chime? Did Nnamani not coordinate the two elections in the state? Where is the justice we are talking about?”

Meanwhile, a Commissioner for Youths and Sports and strong critic of Governor Sullivan Chime’s led administration, Chief Ray Naji, has described the ruling of the tribunal as victory of “good over evil”.

Chief Nnaji said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor “was a political nobody who could not even win a council poll and who, properly, was not a card carrying member of the PDP.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of students under the auspices of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and National Association of Enugu Students (NAES) on Saturday paid a solidarity visit to Chime, describing nullification of the governo’s election as a distraction to the regime.

Acting national president of NANS, Tochukwu Ohazuruike, said that following people’s oriented programmes of the government, the students would vote for the governor if eventually the Appeal Court upheld the judgment of lower tribunal.