The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has raised alarm over the
list of judges to hear the petition of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the election tribunals.
CUPP in a statement signed by Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere alleged that an
intercepted list contain name of judges who are either compromised or have
relationship with the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The opposition listed the President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab
Bulkachuwa whose husband, Adamu Bulkachuwa, was recently declared
Senator-elect in Bauchi state,as a member of the Panel who should be
disqualified.
The statement reads:
The Coalition of United Political Parties CUPP, Nigeria’s biggest
Opposition Coalition has intercepted a controversial 5-man list of the
Justices of the Court of Appeal approved by the President of the Court
of Appeal with the endorsement of the Buhari APC to hear the Petition of
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party challenging the
results of the rigged 23rd February, 2019 Presidential elections.
The approved list which was intercepted by our credible insider
informant during conveyance from the Villa back to the Court of Appeal
was drawn from a list of eight justices submitted to the Villa for
approval.
Nigerians will recall that we had earlier raised alarm over the donation
of a Senatorial ticket to the husband of the President of the Court of
Appeal by the APC. We had questioned the rationale behind such donation
when he did not participate in the Primaries if not to secure the
assurance of his wife, the President of the Court, to constitute with
the approval of the Presidency the Panel that will hear any petition
challenging the outcome of the elections. It was also a failure to
secure similar assurances from the Chief Justice of the Federation that
led to the onslaught on him by the Federal Government as the Honourable
Chief Justice had insisted on doing only justice and nothing else.
The list is drafted in such a way that without any matter properly being
before the Justices, the Panel has been rigged and skewed with three of
the Justices on the list having been approached and commitments secured
from them that no matter the evidence put before them, they were going
to rule in favour of the President.
They are now agents and officers of the President and not officers in
the temple of justice.
The names of the Justices on the panel which are about to be made public
are:
1. Justice Zainab Adamu-Bulkachuwa Presiding Judge and President Court
of Appeal and wife of the APC Senator Elect from Bauchi
2. Justice Abdu- Aboki
3. Justice Peter O. Ige
4. Justice J. S. Ikyegh
5. Justice S. C. Oseji
It is based on the foregoing and the evidence in the custody of the CUPP
that we immediately, categorically and unambiguously demand that
Justices Zaibab Bulkachuwa, Justice Aboki and Justice Peter Ige recuse
themselves from the Panel.
The intelligence at our disposal which formed basis for all the views
canvassed in this statement is that these three Justices have already
given their commitment to the Presidency that they will rule in favour
of the President at the Tribunal hence they cannot dispense justice.
Justices Aboki and Peter Ige in furtherance of this commitment had
already and very strangely so denied Alhaji Atiku Abubakar his
application for forensic analysis of the materials used for the
Presidential election.
We also demand that Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa recuses herself from the
administrative duty of reconstituting the panel but by an impartial
Senior Justice of the Court.
This idea of the Villa approving list of Justices that will sit over any
matter particularly the one where the President is a party is novel and
tyranny taken too far. The President has annexed the judiciary and the
hope of the common man is blighted.
Nigerians must rise in defence of the judiciary and insist that justice
must be done in this circumstance.
Let the world and Nigerians tell Justice BULKACHUWA not take Nigerians
for fools and bring the judiciary to further ridicule with her plan to
constitute a Tribunal panel that have been briefed with one agenda,
which is to stamp the electoral robbery perpetrated by her Husband’s APC
party. Announcing Judges who have shown bias already to the case of
Atiku even at the preliminary stage of ordinary requets for forensics
analysis of election materials will not augur well for the stability of
Nigeria and the institution/wheel of justice.
Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere
CUPP 1st National Spokesperson