A civil society group, the Northern Initiative for the Defence of Democracy and Justice, has accused the Courtroom of Enchantment of usurping the powers of the Kogi State Governorship Petition Tribunal.
The Co-ordinator of the group, Nureeddeen Sadiq, whereas addressing a press convention on Monday in Abuja, mentioned if such unhindered interruption was allowed, the long run is bleak for the judiciary and your entire nation.
He mentioned: “The Nigeria judiciary is at it once more, with the latest Enchantment Courtroom’s resolution in Abuja trying to revise and over-rule the sooner resolution of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting additionally in Abuja.
“Ths earlier resolution of the tribunal was that each one events concerned within the case ought to collectively examine the supplies used within the eleventh November, 2023 governorship election, which must be a serious path to find out the veracity of claims and counter-claims on the tribunal.
“It got here as a serious shock to many people within the Northern Initiative for the Defence of Democracy and Justice who’ve been following the actions and openness of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
“That is simply the primary time in recent times that an appellate court docket shall be meddling, interrupting and usurping the true powers of a tribunal and making an attempt to distract it from performing its conventional function.
“Our concern is that if such unhindered interruption is allowed then, the long run is blink for the judiciary and your entire nation.”
The group famous that the tribunal, which is a direct fact-finding panel, has all of the powers to difficulty directives and orders on the mode of its operations as a way to accomplish its duties.
The group recalled that the tribunal on the twenty fifth November, 2023 made many orders in favour of the petitioners — Muritala Ajaka and the Social Democratic Get together, SDP, saying one such order was inspection of electoral supplies used for the November 11, 2023, Governorship Election of Kogi State.
It defined that the orders have been duly served on Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, by substituted means on the 18th December 2023 along with the petition.
The group added that the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, the first Respondent within the petition, wrote to all of the events within the matter for a gathering with a view to attract up modalities of complying with orders of the tribunal.
The group pressured the assembly was held on the twenty ninth of December, 2023 on the INEC headquarters with all of the events duly represented, including that inspections have been agreed to be commenced on the 4th of January, 2024.
It defined that on the first of January, 2024, J B Daudu, SAN, wrote that he had instruction from Ododo not to participate within the inspection on the bottom that he was but to be served personally with the orders of inspections.
Based on the group, Ododo, by means of his lawyer, filed a movement to put aside the inspection on the bottom that he was not personally served, however the movement was opposed by the authorized crew of the petitioners. The tribunal dismissed the movement.
Ododo additional appealed the choice on the Courtroom of Enchantment.
The group added: “The attraction was duly heard, and judgment was delivered on the first of March 2024.
“Within the judgment delivered on 1st March 2024, the Courtroom of Enchantment agreed that the tribunal was proper to carry that Ahmed Ododo was duly served.
“The court docket additionally agreed that the tribunal has the facility to make the orders of inspections it made besides orders G, Ok, and N. The Courtroom of Enchantment then ordered that inspections completed be put aside and recent inspections performed with Ododo taking part.”
The group maintained that the orders granted by the Courtroom of Enchantment have been by no means prayed for both within the movement filed on the ninth of January 2024 or within the Discover of Enchantment filed on the ninth of February 2024.
