COURT OF APPEAL: On Saturday a tersely statement signed by one A. M. Aliyu relocated the Election Petition Tribunal to Abuja without stating the reason why it took the decision.
But on Sunday another information at the disposal of SOJWORLD.COM got it on good authority reason the Tribunal was moved to Abuja by The Court of Appeal.
The tribunal was set up to hear cases arising from the September 22 and 27 governorship polls in the state which returned Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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It was reported how the just reshuffled three-member panel was moved to FCT High Court No 24, Apo Abuja on Saturday following the directives of President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the spokesperson of the Court of Appeal, Sa’adatu Musa, said the action of Mrs Bulkachuwa is in line with the Nigerian constitution.
“It is constitutional. The president (of the appeal court) has the power to constitute a panel and to use that same discretion if she feels a need for safety so that there will be peace.
“If there’s a flash point or there would be trouble or insecurity of the judges, will you want to expose your judges if you are the one?
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“Because of this, once in a while (the president exercises the power) and for peace to reign. Let there be no interference and so as to maintain peace and order amidst tensed politics.â€
The spokesperson added that a similar situation occurred in Rivers State.
“You could remember in 2016 when she (the president of the court) relocated some tribunals back to Abuja from Port Harcourt. For example, during the Wike and Amaechi issue, she moved them back to Abuja so that they can stay in a peaceful environment. You could remember in Ekiti where a judge was slapped,†she said
Asked if the sudden relocation will not be termed a political move by the opposition party, Mrs Sa’adatu said it would not be the first time the court will be accused of an attempt to tamper with justice.
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“They have always thought otherwise. During the PDP time, APC were accusing Her Lordship that she is PDP. Now it is APC time and PDP members are accusing that she is a member of APC.
“Human beings cannot please human beings but for the sake of democracy, she is a very humane leader and a thoughtful person. She thinks beyond where we do. She supports democracy and for democracy to thrive, it has to be in a peaceful atmosphere. We can’t endanger the lives of our judges.
“Everything is done in an open court. It is just that we are politically impatient and not seeing reasons why she took that step. It was not to please anybody. She swore to an oath between herself and her God. So, what will she gain at this time to cause chaos?â€
www.sojworld.com (c) November 11, 2018
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