Kogi Guber Tribunal: Northern group frowns at Appeal Court pronouncements

A group, the Northern Initiative for the Defence of Democracy and Justice, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Judicial Commission (NJC) to abort what it called ongoing “judicial rascality” in the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

An Appeal Court last week overruled the earlier decision of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, which granted the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate in the last November election, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, an ex parte order to carry out a forensic examination of all the Bimordal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) used in the election, among other remedies.

But a three-member panel led by Justice J.O.K. Oyewole, in a unanimous ruling, sets aside the inspection carried out by the SDP and its candidate.

The appellate court ruled that the initial authorization for scrutinising the voting machines was procedurally flawed.

According to the court, such examination mandates the involvement of all concerned parties in the election process, adhering to specific procedural protocols that were not duly observed previously.

Justice Oyewole ruled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should take immediate steps to invite the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, as well as the All Progressives Congress (APC), for a fresh inspection exercise in accordance with the extant provisions of the earlier order granted by the Tribunal.

Reacting in a statement on Monday, the Coordinator of the Northern Group, Nureeddeen Musa Sadiq, said the recent judgement reversing the earlier decision of the Tribunal on the inspection of materials came as a major surprise to many who have been following the activities and openness of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The Northern Initiative for the Defence of Democracy and Justice maintained that the tribunal, which is a direct fact-finding panel, was vested with all the powers to issue directives and orders on the mode of its operandi in order to accomplish its duties.

It therefore urged the tribunal justices to be firm and never allow themselves to be cowed or intimidated by whatever order comes from the Court of Appeal.

It said: “This is just the first time in recent years that an appellate court will be meddling, interrupting, and usurping the true powers of a tribunal and trying to distract it from performing its traditional role. Our fear is that if such unhindered interruption is allowed, then the future is a blink for the judiciary and the entire country.

“We want to appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Chairman of the National Judicial Commission to prevail on the judiciary and stop all this judicial rascality.

“The judiciary should and must be restored to its rightful position in Nigeria. This is a passionate appeal from the common people of this country. Justice should not become a commodity that can easily be bought over by some undemocratic elements in society.”