Buhari vs Atiku: Timi Frank accuses CJN of ‘handpicking’ Justices
A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has made public the proposed names of eight Justices allegedly ‘handpicked’ to hear the appeal of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Frank said the eight Justices about to be named were handpicked by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), hence their rejection.
The names made public by Frank include: Hon.Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes -Vivour, Hon.Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Hon. Justice Amiru Sanusi, Hon. Justice John Inyang Okoro. Hon. Justice Ejembi Eko, Hon. Justice Taboo and Hon. Justice M. Abaji.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Frank raised an alarm that those selected to handle the Supreme Court case were not based on the order of seniority.
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“I have a privilege information to the effect that the under listed names have been handpicked by the CJN in connivance with the presidency to do the bidding of the presidency and APC.
“The singular motive behind these names which is against the known norm of picking names according to seniority which is a tradition the law profession takes very seriously, is to endorse the court of Appeal judgment.
“By this statement, let it be known that concerned citizens outrightly rejects the list and any pre conceived outcome.
“One wonders why the list is coming out at this time when it is just few days to the hearing of the appeal. It is clear to all well meaning Nigerians that it is for the sole aim of boxing the opposition to a corner where they will have no option than to accept the list.”
The Bayelsa born activist called on Nigerians to be vigilant, adding that the time was a difficult one for the country.
The Buhari Media
In a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju, in Abuja on Monday, BMO gave the warning ahead of the hearing of the appeal filed by the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar against the decision of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal(PEPT).
Akinsiju said that the tribunal decision to upheld the election of President Muhammadu Buhari was based on empirical facts.
He alleged that it was shameful that political allies of the former Vice President were in the forefront of efforts to harass the court.
“Nigerians have for several weeks witnessed how a self-styled coalition of political parties which, in actual fact, is a gathering of Atiku Abubakars’ supporters, has been taking potshots at the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed and the Supreme Court.
“These individuals even had the temerity to lie to the media that the CJN had hand-picked Justices of the apex court for the panel on the directives of Buhari.
“This forced the usually reserved Supreme Court to speak out against what it described as a blackmail attempt by the group, while maintaining that no panel had been constituted,” BMO chairman said.
He said inspite of the Supreme Court explanation through its spokesman Festus Akande, the group has made good its threat to step up attacks on the apex court.
“Even as recent as last weekend, it again accused the Court of plotting to set up a panel that does not include those it suggested.
“We had suggested that the Court and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should consider sanctions against the leader of the group who incidentally is a lawyer Ikenga Ugochinyere, but nothing happened.
So, it was not a surprise that he didn’t stop his campaign of calumny against the CJN.”
According to Akinsiju, there is nowhere in the world where supporters of a party in a case before the Supreme Court would determine the panel to hear their appeal.
“We are still shocked at the rate PDP elements, including the fake coalition led by a political jobber, has been sharing a list of seven Justices of the Supreme Court which they insist have to be on the panel to hear Atiku’s appeal.
“Nigerians were also stunned to see some federal lawmakers elected on PDP’s platform act as the repeater station of the so-called opposition coalition to the extent of naming those they considered as the most qualified.
“If this is not an act of mischief, we at BMO wonder how best it could be described, especially as those lawmakers are expected to know that the Supreme Court and, to a great extent, the Judiciary, can not be dictated to.
“We believe and have absolute faith that the Supreme Court will keep to its time-tested value and would neither be intimidated nor blackmailed to do anyone’s bidding,” he said.
