Cross River North Senatorial By-Election: Group Faults Appeal Court Sack of Senator Odey

A civil society group under the aegis of Global Centre for Conscious Living Against Corruption has faulted the judgement of the Court of Appeal that nullified the election of Steven Odey as a Senator representing Cross River North senatorial district. The Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar had declared Jerigbe Agom Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party as the lawful candidate of PDP for the December 5th, 2020 By-election and not Steven Odey. Consequently, the Court invalidated the Certificate of Return earlier issued to Odey by the Independent National Electoral Commission and ordered the commission to issue same to Jarigbe. But briefing journalists in Abuja, the Convener of the group, Gabriel Nwambu described the judgement as judicial corruption. The group is therefore calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, The National Judicial Council NJC to commence investigation on justice Nwosu Iheme led panel that delivered the judgement for a likely compromise.