Be professional, Court of Appeal president charges election petition tribunals’ members

Justice Zainab Adamu

THE President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa on Tuesday charged chairmen and members of the election petition tribunals to exhibit professionalism and due diligence in the discharge of their duties.

Bulkachuwa, who gave the charge while addressing the 2019 election petition judges sensitization conference in Abuja said, every member of the tribunal will be monitored and she will not hesitate to descend on any judge found wanting in the discharge of his or her duties.

The Appeal Court President said members of the tribunal were selected by her, in consultation with chief judges of states of the federation and the federal capital territory.

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She charged members of election petition tribunals to be in control of their duties and should not be allowed to be controlled by emotions, fear or sentiments and abide by enabling law (Constitution), the electoral act, election petition tribunal manual, the practice direction as well as the Federal High Court rules.

She urged them to desist from granting long and unnecessary adjournment and to also discharge the practice of employing undue technicalities or any act capable of causing the delay in the dispensation of justice.

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In his remarks, the Vice President of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Mr Michael Svetlik said he is optimistic that the forthcoming general election in the country will be peaceful.

While charging chairmen and members of the election petition tribunals to adhere strictly to their oath of office in the discharge of their duties, Svetlik said the training was to sensitize members of the tribunals of their roles in the election petition.

He said IFES has been in partnership with the Court of Appeal in the area of training of members of the election petition tribunals over the past two decades.

S-Davies Wande