2019 elections: Bulkachuwa cancels annual vacation for justices

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, has cancelled the 2019 annual vacation for justices to enable them preside over and determine all appeals arising from the various election petition tribunals transmitted to the courts.

In a two-page circular signed and transmitted to all the justices, Justice Bulkachuwa noted that since the appeals were time-bound and would arise within the period of the court’s vacation from July-October, the need therefore, arises for the cases to be heard and determined within the said period.

According to the statement signed by Sa’adatu Kachalla, media officer to the court, Justice Bulkachuwa gave explicit directives to the presiding justices of the various divisions to draw up a roaster in consultation with her to allow the justices with medical appointments or other pressing family issues travel for not more than 15 days within the period.

The statement revealed that the roaster that would be drawn should be arranged in such a manner that at any given time there is a three-member panel on ground in every division to hear and determine appeals.

In divisions with three justices, only one justice can travel at a time and the office of the president of the Court of Appeal, is to be immediately notified to form a panel in that justice’s absence should the need arise, the circular further directed.

According to Justice Bulkachuwa, appeals arising from the national and state assemblies would be heard by a local panel of three members, except where it is controversial then the president will constitute and send another panel to hear it.

On the governorship appeals, the president of the Court of Appeal disclosed that it would be heard by a five -member panel to be empanelled by Justice Bulkachuwa and further instructed the presiding justices to notify him as soon as appeals from governorship elections were filed to ensure their speedy determination.

Meanwhile, a total of 1, 769 appeals were determined and 3, 517 motions disposed of by the Court of Appeal between January and April, 2019.

This is contained in the summary of cases in the Court of Appeal divisions prepared by the Head, Legal Services Unit, Mrs. Adaeze Oby Aziwe and made available to newsmen.

In the document, a total of 2, 397 appeals and 5, 120 motions were filed during the period under review. Similarly, the Deputy Chief Registrar, Court of Appeal, Mrs. Rabi Abdulazeez Yakubu, said that a total of 800 petitions were filed as at June 17 before the election petition tribunal,.

A breakdown of this figure shows that, state Houses of Assembly recorded the highest figure of 415, Senate 105, House of Representatives 214, governorship 62 and the presidential election four petitions.

According to the facts sheet emanating from the 77 election petition tribunals set up by the president of the Court of Appeal as at April 23, stands at 65 petitions were either dismissed or struck out while 735 petitions are pending.