BEVERLY HILLS, April 22, (THEWILL) – A civil society group based in Ekiti State, the Ekiti Justice Group (EJG), has hailed the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, over her admonition of judges handling Election Petition cases against being manipulated by politicians, saying; “The Appeal Court president must focus her attention on judges handling election cases in Ekiti State.”
EJG said in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti, Wednesday, and signed by its National Coordinator, Mr. Gbenga Babawibe, that it had it on good authority that All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and members in Ekiti State were already boasting that the judges coming to the State will do the biddings of the party, adding that “the warning coming from the President Court of Appeal is heart-warming.”
Members of the National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for Ekiti State included Justice A. M. Erahabor (from Edo State), Justice A. T. Lamina (Ogun State) and Justice P. A. Obayi (Enugu State).
The statement read; “Justice Bulkachuwa had warned Tribunal judges to be impartial, independent and should not be subject to political influence or manipulation, saying each tribunal member or staff will be closely monitored by her office and she will not hesitate to descend on any judge found wanting in the discharge of his/her duties.
“On Tuesday, March 31, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed also assured that under his leadership, the judiciary would not be used to change the outcome of elections.
“No doubt, this assurance, coming from the number one and two judicial officers in Nigeria is heart-warming. However, utterances and body language of leaders and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in and outside Ekiti State since the party won the presidential election cannot be wished away.
“Boastfully, APC members and supporters in and outside Ekiti State now go about, saying the party will secure favourable judgments from the Election Tribunal which will remove from office, some of the elected National and State House of Assembly members.
“It is therefore become necessary that we alert the President Court of Appeal on the need to give more attention to the activities of the Election Tribunal in Ekiti State, with a view to making sure that the judges and tribunal staff are not used to truncate the mandates of the people.”
