The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a suit filed against Rep. Emeka Martins, representing Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency in Imo State alleging that he supplied false and dishonest information on himself in his affidavits and documents given to INEC.
Delivering Judgment, a five-member panel of Justices led by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, dismissed the appeal and asked all parties to bear their costs.
Rhodes-Vivour, therefore, held that Martins is fit to hold any elective office of trust or be elected into the House of Representatives.
Nnanna Igbokwe, alleging that Martins submitted false information to INEC in Form CF 001, and on that basis it ought not to have been fit and proper to run for the election.
He alleged that some of the documents of the Martins, bear Emeka Chinedu and in another breath, he is Emeka Chinedu Martins.
Speaking to newsmen after the judgment, Martins, said that the judiciary was the last hope for the common man.
He said that the day’s judgement given by the apex court has given hope to the common man.
“I say this based on the judgement given today by the Supreme Court. I have witnessed with my eyes that the judiciary is truly independent and can’t be influenced, and that is what we need in Nigeria.
“Today is a new dawn for me, and I’m happy that the matter has been dismissed,“ he added.
NAN reports that the Court of Appeal in the Owerri judicial division had delivered a judgment against Igbokwe on May 11.
Mr Emeka Ozoani, counsel to Martins said, “the supreme court has approached the issues on the basis of the fourth alteration to the 1999 constitution, as amended, and inevitably came to the conclusion that the appellant’s suit was caught up by the limitation law under section 285 subsection 9 of the fourth alteration and ultimately dismissed the appeal.
”What that means now is that we have to return to Imo to continue with the substantive post-election matters filled by the same Igbokwe against my client (Martins).
“The case ran all the way from the Federal High Court, the court of appeal and to the supreme court and has been laid to rest this morning“.
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