APC’s Umana takes sides with Amaechi, says Justice Okoro lied

Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC Umana Okon Umana says Justice John Inyang Okoro lied in his assertion that he (Okoro) was approached to decide the state’s governorship petition in his (Umana’s) favour.

Justice Okoro, had in a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, said both Umana and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi visited him and tried to bribe him to influence the outcome of the Akwa Ibom governorship election appeal that was then before the Supreme Court.

Amaechi has however denied the allegation, describing it as a lie.

Umana, who is the current Managing Director of Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, reacted to the allegation in a statement issued by his media aide, Iboro Otongaran.

According to him, Justice Okoro’s  “deliberately concorted lies is an afterthought and an effort to save himself after being arrested with so much cash both local and foreign currency.”

The statement reads in part, “The meeting Justice Okoro is reporting is fiction. No such meeting to discuss how to bribe judges took place between him, Mr Umana Okon Umana and Dr (Pastor) Ebebe Ukpong as alleged.

“If we assume, without conceding, that such a meeting took place, for a man of Justice Okoro’s standing and knowledge of the law, he ought to have known the legal implications of such a visit, and should have reported it to appropriate authorities immediately. He did not do that, but he is only reacting after the authorities have established a case against him.

“Justice Okoro should address himself to the facts of the case, which is between him and the State, and leave Umana out of it.

Read also: Senate may invite CJN, Ademola, others over alleged graft

“Contrary to Justice Okoro’s claim, Umana had no appeal before the Supreme Court arising from any court judgment on the 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State. Umana had won at the Court of Appeal and therefore was not and couldn’t have been an appellant at the Supreme Court. Umana had won both at the tribunal and at the Court of Appeal. He was therefore confident of victory at the Supreme Court because of the concurrent judgments of the lower courts.

“It would be recalled that after the Supreme Court judgment, which ignored the concurrent judgments of both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal, and also totally disregarded the reports of the international observers, including those of the United States Government and the European Union which stated that the elections in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states were marred by widespread violence and irregularities, Umana had issued a statement expressing disappointment at the verdict and said he had moved on and left everything in the hands of God. Umana should therefore be left alone”, the statement read.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews …

 RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears