S’Court: Retiring Judge Critics CJN Over Non-Representation of All Geo-Political Zones in Panel
- Justice Dattijo Muhammad, a Supreme Court judge, has expressed his concern over the omission of two geo-political zones in the presidential election appeal panel
- He critiqued the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kayode Ariwoola, for failing to discharge his duties judiciously
- He stated his concerns at his retirement validator event to mark an end to his 43 years as a judicial custodian
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Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil society, courts and metro.
FCT, Abuja - A retiring Supreme Court Justice, Dattijo Muhammad, strongly criticized the excessive authority held by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and expressed concerns about the panel composition responsible for confirming President Bola Tinubu's election victory.
Justice Muhammad, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, made these remarks on Friday, October 27, during a valedictory session held in his honour at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja, Premium Times reported.
Source: UGC
In an unprecedented move, Justice Muhammad publicly questioned the concentration of oversight and administrative powers within the country's judiciary that the sitting CJN enjoys.
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Recall that the current CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, was not part of the panel that issued the verdicts on the presidential election appeals, but he was solely responsible for forming that panel.
Justice Muhammad, who served in the judiciary for 43 years, pointed out that his retirement has reduced the number of Supreme Court Justices to 10, leaving two regions of the country unrepresented.
Retiring justice raises concern over omission of two geo-political zones
As reported by Channels TV online, he also raised concerns about the composition of the seven-member panel that rejected the appeals filed by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi against President Tinubu's election, emphasizing that all six geopolitical zones in the country should be fairly represented.
Justice Muhammad indicated that the reduced number of Supreme Court Justices was a deliberate decision.
However, CJN Olukayode Ariwoola assured that efforts are underway to appoint additional Justices to the Supreme Court.
Falana reacts to Supreme Court’s verdict affirming Tinubu’s victory in 2023 polls
In another report, human rights lawyer and senior advocate Femi Falana has reacted to the Supreme Court verdict favouring President Bola Tinubu.
Falana stated that the judiciary is not supposed to determine the winner of an election if INEC get their act right.
He stated the outcome of the 2023 general election is a testament that Nigeria has a long way to go in its electoral system.
Source: Legit.ng
