An outgoing justice of the Supreme Court, Dattijo Muhammad, has hit out at the way the presidential election appeal panel was set up, saying it is dangerous for democracy in Nigeria.
Muhammad who mandatorily retired on Friday after attaining the age of 70, said this while speaking at a valedictory session that was held in his honour at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja.
The retiring Justice of the Supreme Court also had some harsh words for the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), saying the position wielded too much power.
He kicked out against the “absolute powers” of the CJN and also criticized the way the presidential election appeal panel, which affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election, was set up.
Muhammad said he believed that the Chief Justice of Nigeria has always been given the privilege of over-concentration of oversight and administrative powers across the nation’s judiciary, which is not too good for democracy in the country.
The outgoing judge also expressed displeasure at the composition of the seven-member panel led by Justice John Inyang Okoro, who affirmed the election of Tinubu as Nigeria’s president in the 2023 general election.
Muhammad said that it was not right that of the six regions in Nigeria, only the South-south, North-west and the North-east were represented on the panel.
“To ensure justice and transparency in presidential appeals from the lower court, all geo-political zones are required to participate in the hearing,” he stated.
“It is therefore dangerous for democracy and equity for two entire regions to be left out in the decisions that will affect the generality of Nigerians,” the judge warned.
Meanwhile, the current CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, was not part of the Supreme Court panel that affirmed President Tinubu’s election on Thursday but solely constituted the panel.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the appeals made by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) challenging the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 election.
Source; The Guardian.
