The last Friday’s Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General elections held in Enugu has come and gone but the dust raised by that election is yet to settle as it has been discovered that the court order said to have barred the former Inspector General of Police from the election is false.
The oder was said to have emanated from Justice N.R. Oji’s court and filed by Comrade Chimenu Amadi that was seeking the order of the court to bar Okiro from the screening and subsequently contesting the election.
Addressing a press conference today, Okiro narrated how the fake court order, which he fell for, was used to stop him from participating in the election that held in Enugu last Friday and which was won by Senator John Azuta-Mbata also from Rivers State; he also wondered how some section of the media was used to misinformed Ndigbo that he was barred.
Below is the full text of Okiro ‘s address at the conference.
AN ADDRESS PRESENTED TO THE PRESS TODAY 12TH JANUARY, 2025 ON MY EXCLUSION FROM THE SCREENING AND ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT-GENERAL OF OHANAEZE NDIGBO WORLDWIDE BASED ON A SPURIOUS COURT ORDER
Gentlemen of the press, my brothers and sisters, follow country men, I, Sir. (Dr) Mike Mbama Okiro, an aspirant for the just concluded election of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo address you today with a heart full of concern for happenings in Nigeria and a total submission to the will of Almighty God.In the evening of Tuesday 7th January, 2025 my attention was drawn to a media news where it was said that I was barred from the election into the post of President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo by a court order issued at Enugu High Court.I engaged my lawyer to obtain a copy of the court order/process and proceed to vacate the said order.By the close of work on Wednesday 8th January, 2025, the lawyer did not succeed due to shortage of time.On Thursday 9th January, 2025 I had to address the press to say that I was stepping aside in compliance with the court injunction to encourage Nigerians to be law abiding and obey constituted authorities viz-a-viz the courts.Later in the day I went for screening based on the fact that my lawyer was still struggling to set aside the order, that if he succeeds by Friday 10th January, 2025 I would take part in the election.The panel refused to screen me basing their decision on the said court order.I submitted two copies of my press conference to the screening committee and left the premises.By the close of work on Friday 10th January, 2025 my Lawyer was able to obtain the court proceedings while the election had been concluded without me.Ladies and Gentlemen, Ndigbo worldwide, my supporters, Nigerians, there was no court order at all in the court proceedings. NO COURT ORDER BARRING ME FROM THE ELECTION.What the media showed the world was false, deceitful and misleading and I fell into it because i am law abiding.The fact as contained in the court process which my lawyer obtained from the High Court of Enugu State of Nigeria presided over by Honourable Justicefrom the election as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.The Respondents were Ohanaeze Ndigbo and five others including me.The lawyer was seeking for a court order in Motion Ex-parte dated and filled on Monday 6th January, 2025.On Tuesday 7th January, 2025 the court sat and granted leave to the Applicants to serve the Respondents.Two days were given the Applicants between service and hearing the motion on Notice by the Court.The motion was fixed for hearing on Friday 10th January, 2025.
Attached is a copy of the court proceedings dated Tuesday 7th January, 2025.WHERE THEN IS THE SO CALLED COURT ORDER WHICH APPEARED IN THE PRESS ON THE 7TH JANUARY, 2025 RESTRAINING ME FROM SCREENING AND THE ELECTION. AND WHERE DID THE MEDIA GET THEIR INFORMATION?
Some friends, well-wishers and even some enemies are deriding me for obeying the court order, an action which is not normal in Nigeria.My concern has been that Orders are Orders, especially coming from constituted authority and must be obeyed no matter the consequences.I did not know the court order I saw in the press was a hoax; I obeyed and missed the election. The screening committee also denied me the screening process based on the said court order.I enjoin my compatriots to keep faith in our legal and judicial system and punish miscreants. My Lawyer will keep pursuing my fundamental right as enshrined in Chapter 4 of 1999 Nigeria Constitution (as amended). I employ the police to utilize Section 125(A) of the Criminal Code Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and deal with the criminal issue of false information. The Nigerian Bar Association should discipline the lawyer for trading false information from a court aimed at misleading Nigerians and diminishing the credibility of the Judiciary. The Nigerian media should beware of the information they feed to the public. Nigerians themselves should be wary of what they read and believe.Information just got to me that a writer said that the South East Governors compelled me to step down for Senator John Mbata. This is very far from the truth.Some wrote that I was at the venue of the election but was denied entry at the gate. This also is far from the truth, as I did not go to the venue of the election.I plead with my aggrieved supporters and right thinking Igbos to remain calm in the interest of our collective will and patriotism.
Finally, I congratulate Senator John Mbata on his election and pledge my unalloyed support for the progress and advancement of Ndigbo worldwide. Thank you.
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