Aso Rock Panics as Tribunals Set to Rule Next Week on Citizens 1, 2 And 3

Activities are at feverish pitch, as the administration scrambles for survival strategies with major impending tribunal verdicts in the next few days.

Two major judgments will be given on the Number 1, 2 and 3 citizens in Nigeria's political hierarchy at the election tribunals.

Aso Rock went into survival mode shortly after the Kogi governorship election was nullified and the Speaker was sworn in as acting governor by the Chief Judge of the state.

It was at that point, it was finally realized that the presiding judge of the tribunal, a townsman of senate president David Mark, was in a critical position to bring about his ascension to power by nullification of the presidential election.

To outwit the former general who is known to be ambitious, the administration first of all circulated stories claiming they had concluded plans to bribe the judge's son in an effort to get him to recuse himself, the very week that final arguments rounded up. When that did not work Aso rock agents then orchestrated the prompt forwarding of the presiding judge's name to the senate for elevation to the Supreme Court in an effort to "get rid" of the independent-minded judge.

Sources close to the Senate president say he is happy that Justice Ogebe was removed from the case so that he will stop being blackmailed as trying to influence him to nullify the election and hand power to his "brother." In fact he is said to have requested speedy attention to the matter as a sign of his loyalty to Yar'Adua whom like many hawks in the administration view Gen Mark as an unapologetic Obasanjo man.

Yar'adua's team is said not to be taking things for granted. Curiously the judgment in the election petition against Senator Mark himself is now coming up this weekend, just days before the Yar'adua verdict. While the presidential election tribunal verdict is on Tuesday, the Senate President’s judgment has been fixed for Saturday, many believe in another bold attempt to ensure that Mark's seat is nullified in case the president's victory is also nullified.

Incidentally Buhari's legal team which had requested the court to nullify the election had demanded that power should be handed to the Senate President. However at the time of filing their petition they had not envisaged that David Mark would be the occupant of that office. Sources close to them say that they themselves are uncomfortable with his coming to power as a continuation of Obasanjo's rule.

Whatever the case Aso Villa is leaving no stone unturned in checking what they think might be a seismic judicial verdict in the next few days. Never before has the fate of the 3 top officials in the constitutional line of succession been under uncertainty from judicial review at the same time.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Aso Villa is leaving no stone unturned in checking what they think might be a seismic judicial verdict in the next few days. Never before has the fate of the 3 top officials in the constitutional line...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 22.09.2008 11:04