Lawyers alert new CJN over alleged inclusion of dead judge among newly appointed election petition tribunals’ members
- There are fears that a dead judge has been named among the new sworn election tribunal members
- A group of lawyers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state have alerted the CJN on his recent appointments
- According to the group, Justice Mohammed appointed some dead and retired judges as members of the recently sworn-in 250 election tribunal members
Lawyers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state have alerted the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, to the appointment of dead and retired judges as members of the recently sworn-in 250 election tribunal members.
According to Daily Independent, the group of concerned lawyers who declined being identified faulted the list of the recently sworn in 250-tribunal members, saying it had some names of dead and retired judges.
They described a posthumous appointment of anyone for such sensitive role in the country as risky.
READ ALSO: Acting CJN Tanko Muhammad resumes duty, presides over Supreme Court’s panel
One of the lawyers quoted in the report, said that up to 10 judges in the list were dead.
He identified some of the late appointees to include Justice Edemekong Edemekong whose name reportedly appeared as number 58 on the list and declared that the late Justice died since 2013. Another, Justice Chukwu, from Ebonyi state and number 53 on the list, who was formerly of the Federal High Court is also said to have been long dead.
The lawyer’s revelation also indicated that Justice Stephen Okon, a retired Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom state and Justice Okoyo Essang (number 56), a retired justice of the High Court in Akwa Ibom state, both made the list.
Legit.ng checks revealed that Justice Edemekong and Justice Chukwu have indeed passed away.
Legit.ng gathered that while Justice Edemkong's death was reported by an Akwa Ibom blog in 2013, that of Justice Chukwu was reported by Premium Times in 2016.
The other names the lawyers claimed were also dead or retired could however not be immediately independently verified.
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Updated: The Court of Appeal has dismissed reports claiming that the names of dead and retired judges were included in the list of 250 judges sworn-in as members of the election petition tribunal.
The media officer of the Court of Appeal, Sa’adatu Kachalla, in a statement issued on Wednesday, January 30, said the report was false and malicious, TVC news reports.
Meanwhile, the presidency has said that President Muhammadu Buhari contravened no law as amended in the constitution with regards to the suspension of the ex-CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
This was the position of Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity on Sunday, January 28, during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Shehu said the president has done no wrong by taking an action and making a decision based on the advice of a competent court of law.
“The president acted on a directive by a court of law recognised by our own constitution, and so, therefore, our president has done no wrong,” he argued.
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Source: Legit.ng
