Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Mary Odili, wife of the fromer Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili has denied reports that she is trying to influence judges of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to manipulate the expected judgment in favour of President Bola Tinubu, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Mary Odili is the second prominent Nigerian to deny allegations of trying to aid and abet manipulation of the judgment, after the former Governor of Lagos State and immediate Past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday petitioned the Inspector General of Police IGP to track down those he said used the social media platform to insinuate that he is the person writing the judgment to be delivered by the PEPT which had since concluded sitting on the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Allied Peoples Movement.
“The panel, headed by Haruna Tsammani, has since retired to give its judgement on the victory of Tinubu, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1.
Dismissing the allegation by one Jackson Ude, a Twitter user, that she was trying to influence the judges, Odili, in a statement signed by Felix Enebeli, her spokesperson, described the claim as “false and malicious,” adding: “While the defamation arising from the false allegation has been referred to the lawyers of her lordship to deal with in accordance with the law, we consider it appropriate, particularly for the sake of the public, to issue this unequivocal denial of the false allegation.
“We deny every allegation contained in the publication and state that the publication is false, malicious, mischievous and a deliberate attempt at smearing the integrity and solid reputation of her lordship. We say nothing of the fact that the publication has the potential of inciting the public against her lordship on an issue of grave national importance.
“For the records, her lordship is neither a judicial consultant to anyone nor is she in any way connected with or involved in any of the presidential election petitions or any other election petition whatsoever. The public is hereby urged to disbelieve, disregard and ignore this false publication”.
Enebeli added that Odili’s lawyers are on the issue and have demanded a retraction and public apology from Ude.
Should Ude fail to retract the story, Enebeli said redress would be sought in court”.
