…and when, where and how were they written?
…US, UK and Nigerian Rights and Democracy Groups and campaigners demand public snswers within deven days from five justices of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal or face international lawful campaigns
The United States, United Kingdom and Nigerian Human Rights and Democracy roups and campaigners are strongly and humbly calling on the five Justices (Justices of the Court of Appeal) of the Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) led by its Chairman, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani (Bauchi State) to publicly tell Nigerians and the world “who actually wrote the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal Judgments and when, where and how they were written”.
Signatories to this joint-statement are the Global Igbo Leaders based in the United Kingdom led by Amadiebube Mbama, the Ekwenche Research Institute based in the United States of America led by Prof Justin Akujieze, John Gregg, an American respected International Human Rights and Democracy Campaigner, Bernhard Wanner, a Swiss respected International Human Rights and Democracy Campaigner, the South-East Based Coalition of Democracy and Human Rights Organizations represented by Prof Jerry Chukwuokoro (renowned University Don) and Ikenweoke Nwandu (Computer Security Expert), the South-East Zone of the Civil Liberties Organization (South-East CLO) led by Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah (award winning journalist) and the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) led by Emeka Umeagbalasi (respected Criminologist).
The democracy groups are of the view that the five Justices of the PEPT may face international lawful campaigns unless the clarify issues surrounding the judgement document with the header of the Tinubu legal team.
The groups are jointly demanding that an urgent attention be paid to the issue the raised arising from controversies from the delivered judgments of Sept 6, 2023. “It must also be pointed out that the PEPT five Justices are inexcusably obligated as public officers maintained with public funds from taxpayers to provide concrete answers to the above mentioned question in a world press conference within seven days”.
The group said that failure of the judges to provide explanation will most likely leave them with no other option than to commence international lawful campaigns including letter writings and diplomatic engagements, among other lawful steps, with international democracy compliant countries in Americas, Asia, Middle East and European Union.
“By condemning, discarding and expunging the EU Election Observer report from the records of the PEPT, for instance, the five PEPT justices have morally disqualified themselves and members of their nuclear families from having anything whatsoever to do with the EU and its democratic agencies or institutions including holidaying, residing, studying, medical traveling and attendance of international conferences and fellowship/exchange programs, etc on European soils and those of their allies in Americas, ASEAN countries, Oceania and the Caribbean.
“Therefore, unless the above demand of ours is credibly and timely met; otherwise strong international lawful campaigns are most likely going to be put in place to ensure that the Five Justices and members of their nuclear families (wives and children) are denied access to democracy-compliant countries countries of Europe (England, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland inclusive), Canada, US, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, etc,” it said.
Controversies Arising From The PEPT Judgments
The human rights activists said: “Apart from the judgments being received by the majority of lovers of democracy in Nigeria and the world with reservations and rejections; they have also been mired in controversies especially as it concerns the independence and impartiality of their writers and writings.
Controversies leading to the delivery of the judgments had started with rumors that went round on August 5, 2023 that “the Abuja facilities of a former Lagos Governor and Federal Minister have been barricaded by military personnel for purpose of compromising the PEPT judgments”.
It stated: “The camp of the said former Lagos Gov and Federal Minister not only denied the allegation but also filed petitions against some persons before the country’s security establishments and Government-owned communications commission. Few days ago, on Saturday, September 9, 2023, three days the delivery of the judgments, to be precise, Lawyers to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar raised a fresh alarm, calling out five justices of the PEPT to “publicly explain to Nigerians and the world why the HEADER of Tinubu Presidential Legal Team was on the left-hand corner of the CTC copies of its judgment, numbering 798 pages and why the CTC of the judgment was first issued to the Respondents instead of the Plaintiffs or Petitioners to enable them proceed to the Supreme Court within the stipulated timeframe of two weeks”.
The Leadership of the Labor Party also reacted and called on the PEPT to offer public explanations. The Tinubu Presidential Legal Team in their own reaction stated that “they watermarked their copy of the judgment after collection from the Court of Appeal before circulating to members of their team”.
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“Totality of these has threatened the independence and credibility of the judgments and portrayed them to look as if “they were a duplication of tuhe legal positions or opinions of a partisan third party that is a party to the case”.
Profile Of Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani: Chairman Of The 2023 PEPT
Born in 1959 (age: 64) in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, North-East, Nigeria. Appointed a Bauchi State High Court Judge on September 17, 1998 at the age of 39 and served for 12 years from where he was elevated to Court of Appeal as Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA) on July 10, 2010. Justice Tsammani has spent 13 years so far as JCA and is ranked 12th In the Seniority List of the serving Justices of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria, numbering 76.
Profile of Justice Stephen Jonah Adah: Member of The 2023 PEPT
Born in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, North-Central Nigeria on June 13, 1957 (age: 66). Appointed a Federal High Court Judge in 1998 at age of 41 where he served for 14 years as a Judge and was elevated to the Court of Appeal in Nov 2012 as JCA. He has served for 12 years so far as JCA and is the Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal, Asaba Division in Delta State. Justice Stephen Jonah Adah is ranked 22nd In the Seniority List of the Justices of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria, numbering 76.
Profile Of Justice Mistura Bolaji-Yusuf (Female): Member Of The 2023 PEPT
Born in Oyo West in Oyo State, South-West Nigeria on August 7, 1959 (age: 64). Appointed a High Court Judge of Oyo State on June 30, 1997 at the age of 38 where she served for 17 years before being elevated to the Court of Appeal as JCA on March 24, 2014 and has served for nine years as JCA.
Profile Of Justice Boloukuoromo Ugo: Member Of The 2023 PEPT
Born in 1966 (age: 57) in Kolokuma/Opokua in Bayelsa State, South-South Nigeria. Appointed a Bayelsa State High Court Judge on March 21, 2006 at the age of 40 where he served for eight years as a Judge before being elevated to the Court of Appeal as JCA on March 24, 2014 and has served for nine years as JCA. He is serving in the Kano Division of the Court of Appeal and ranked 44th in the Seniority List of the Justices of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria, numbering 76.
Profile of Justice Abbah Bello Mohammed: Member of the 2023 PEPT
Born on Feb 19, 1961 (age: 62) in Tudun Wada, Kano State in North-West Nigeria. Appointed a Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in 2010 at the age of 49 and served for 11 years as a Judge before being elevated to the Court of Appeal as JCA on June 28, 2021 where he has served for two years so far as JCA. He is ranked 71st In the Seniority List or Roll Call of the Justices of the Court of Appeal, numbering 76. Profile Data (including PEPT Justices Photos) Source: Obtained from the official Registry of the Court of Appeal, Three-Arms-Zone, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria: (https://www.courtofappeal.gov.ng/current-justices)
Our Joint-Question And Public Answer Request
Who actually wrote the Judgments of the 2023 Presidential Election Petitions’ Tribunal and when, where and how were they written?
The document was jointly signed by
Prof Justin Akujieze (Ekwenche Research Institute, USA, Nze Amadiebube Mbama (Global Igbo Leaders, United Kingdom);
John Gregg (American); Bernhard Wanner (Swiss); Prof Jerry Chukwuokoro (South-East Based Rights and Democracy Coalition); Ikenweoke Nwandu (South-East Based Human Rights and Democracy Coalition); Aloysius Emeka Attah (South-East CLO); and Emeka Umeagbalasi (Intersociety).
