Election Tribunal: Appellate Court Needs 80 Days to Determine Appeals, Says Judge

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A retired judge of the Court of Appeal, Justice Peter Ige, has advocated the need for the number of days allotted to the appellate court to determine appeals from Election Petition Tribunals to be extended to 80 instead of the statutory 60 days.

Justice Ige stated this at the weekend in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a valedictory court session held in his honour at the Ibadan Division of the Court of Appeal.

He said instead of 60 days, the appellate court would need about 80 days to hear and determine such appeals before it.
According to him, the current situation makes judges work assiduously, usually to a breaking point, to meet the deadline.
“To give the Justices breathing space, the National Assembly must amend the relevant provisions of the Constitution to increase the 60 days to 80 days for hearing and determination of appeals in the interest of justice,” Ige said.

He also called for the determination of all pre-election matters before holding elections and of all post-election issues before winners were sworn in.
In her speech, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, commended Ige for leaving behind an unblemished record, deserving of being celebrated.

Justice Dongban-Mensem, represented by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, said the retired judge lived an exemplary life with virtues of fairness and a deep commitment to upholding the principles of justice expected of him.
She said Ige has impacted the lives of countless individuals seeking justice, thus leaving an indelible mark on the Nigerian judicial system and Nigeria at large.
Speaking also, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yakubu Maikyau, said the bar, bench, and Nigeria, in general, would continue to cherish Ige for his contributions to the judiciary.

Maikyau, represented by the Assistant Secretary, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), Mr. Oladipo Olasope, urged the appellate court to post more judges to its Ibadan Division.

This, he said, was due to the volume of cases and inadequate manpower at the division.
Justice Ige was sworn in as an Oyo State High Court Judge on June 27, 2001, and elevated to the Court of Appeal on October 31, 2012.
The judge, who retired from the Abuja Division at the age of 70, had earlier in his career served at the Ilorin, Jos, and Owerri Divisions.

The valedictory court session was attended by the Oyo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Bayo Lawal; and the representatives of the Oyo State Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima, and a former Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Adeniji Badejoko