Cries As New CJN Appoints 10 Ghosts into Election Tribunal
Some lawyers in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, have raised alarm over the appointment of dead and retired judges as members of the newly sworn-in 250 election tribunal members.
According to report, the lawyers who on anonymity faulted the list of the newly sworn in 250-tribunal members over 10 names of dead judges.
“One of the lawyers who spoke on condition of anonymity said that up to 10 judges in the list were dead. He identified that some of the late appointees include Justice Edemekong Edemekong whose name 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, according to IgbereTV reporter, 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.
“Admitting that this would not be the first time the Buhari-led government has displayed this level of “carelessness in handling sensitive issues concerning the Nation”, they also explain that a posthumous appointment of anyone for such sensitive role in the country as burying the country alive.
“The lawyers showed deep concerns that if such errors could be spotted at a glance on such a sensitive list and on the first official outing of the new acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mohammed Tanko, then Nigeria may be heading towards a doom.
“If dead and retired men are to sit on our election petition tribunal, then the APC-led federal government is out to drown this country and we vehemently reject a list parading dead men as members of the tribunal.”
It should be recalled that the new acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Mohammed on Saturday, January 26 swore in 250 members of the election tribunals at the Supreme Court Complex in Abuja.
The swearing-in process has continued to generate heated criticisms by both members of the legal community and social media users faulting the decision of the new CJN on posthumous appointment.