Imo Governorship: Supreme Court drops Justice Okoro from panel

Supreme Court has dropped Justice Inyang Okoro as a member of the seven-panel scheduled to hear the application for the review of the January 14, 2020 judgment which nullified Emeka Ihedioha’s election as Imo State governor and installed Hope Uzodinma in his stead.

The cause list issued Tuesday morning by the Supreme Court ahead of the day’s sitting had Justice Okoro as a member of the panel to sit on the appeal.

The cause list contains the appeals slated to come up before the court for the day and the members of the panel that will hear them.

But by the time the members of the panel led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, filed into the packed courtroom at about 9.30 am on Tuesday, Justice Okoro was absent.

Justice Paul Galumje appeared in his stead.

Justice Galumje replaced Justice Aminu Sanusi, who was part of the panel that delivered the January 14, 2020 judgment but has since retired on attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70 early February.

The seven-man panel now are the CJN, Justices Sylvester Ngwuta, Olukayode Ariwoola, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Amina Augie, Galumje and Uwani Abba-Aji.