Justice Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Prof. Terhemba Shija against the May 27, 2022 All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primary election that produced Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia for being statute barred.
Justice Okoro led a five-member panel of Justices of the Apex Court in a brief ruling to dismiss the appeal following its withdrawal by the appellant.
The APC drew the attention of the Court to a letter of Professor Shija through his counsel Mr. Kenneth Ikonne in which he complained against an event of May 26 and 27 and dissociated himself from it.
Although Ikonne insisted that the cause of action arose on May 28, when the results of the primary election were announced, the content of his letter was used against him that he became aware of the cause of action on May 26 and ought to have instituted the suit within 14 days stipulated by section 285 of 1999 Constitution.
In the end, it was agreed that the suit was filed outside the 14 days allowed by law and was subsequently dismissed by a unanimous decision of the Justices.
