Group Asks NJC, Anti-graft Agencies to Probe Tribunal Judges

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A pro-democracy group, the Citizens United for Democracy in Nigeria (CUDIN), has called on the National Judicial Council and the anti-graft agencies in the country to investigate judges currently delivering judgements at the various election tribunals.

The group at a news conference in Abuja, yesterday, said probing the judges would help the judiciary come clean over allegations of corruption being levelled against some of the judicial officers.

The National Coordinator of CUDIN, Felix Ngutswen, who read the text of the group’s statement, said the NJC should not allow the integrity of the judiciary to be compromised by any corrupt judicial officer.

CUDIN said, “We call upon the National Judicial Council and other anti-graft agencies to take immediate action and investigate any suspected judgments thoroughly.

“The integrity of the judiciary must be safeguarded, and all those involved in selling judgments, whether the judges, lawyers, or political actors, must face severe consequences for subverting the democratic process.

“We, as a leading pro-democracy organisation in Nigeria, strongly denounces the Election Petition Tribunal’s recent judgment on the highly contested election of the National Assembly in Plateau State on the 25th February, 2023.

“The verdict, underscores a disheartening setback for transparency, justice, and democracy in Nigeria.”

The group noted that the Election Petition Tribunal’s primary responsibility was to ensure fair and impartial adjudication in electoral disputes.

It lamented that the judiciary’s sacred duty to uphold the sanctity of the democratic process had allegedly been compromised by some judicial officers with vested interests.

The group noted that, “Citizens United for Democracy in Nigeria has meticulously analysed the proceedings of the Election Petition Tribunal in Jos, Plateau State and discovered an alarming series of irregularities.

“The development is casting serious doubts on the integrity and impartiality of the judgment.

“Our investigation reveals clear indications of political interference, and hidden agenda leading to the alleged compromised decisions where the same Tribunal is giving contradictory judgments on the same issue.

“Democratic principles form the cornerstone of a progressive society, empowering citizens to choose their leaders freely and fairly.

“Nigeria, as a vibrant and dynamic nation, must embrace the principles of transparency and accountability to cultivate an environment where citizens’ voices are valued and respected.

“The Peoples Democratic Party conducted its primary elections in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, which the delegates system was duly followed.

“The inconsequential issue of qualification that the judge Hon. Justice M.B Tukur is leveraging has been settled up to the Supreme Court.

“Where did he get the audacity from to subvert the will of Plateau people on the ground of a settled court case since 2021?

“The implication of the Judgment is that PDP has a valid and solid structure through which our mandate was given and we optimistic that the appeal court would reverse the judgment of the Tribunal.

“Despite the evidence tendered before the Tribunal by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the PDP on the repeat Congresses conducted on the 25th September, 2021 as a result of the court rulings, the Tribunal went ahead to declare that Senator Napoleon Bali, Hon Beni Lar, Hon Musa Bagos, and Hon Peter Gyendeng have been disqualified on the ground of the so-called structural issues

“We want to know under which provision of the Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the APC to challenge the candidacies of the People’s Democratic Party.”