Judiciary
Moneybags Trying To Compromise Appeal Court Justices, N’Delta Group Alleges
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
A Niger Delta interest group, the Urhobo New Frontiers (UNF), in Delta State, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by some desperate politicians, allegedly shopping for Justices of the Court of Appeal in Abuja to do their bidding as the electoral petitions moves to the Appealate Court.
UNF has therefore called on Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, President of Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, National Judicial Council to as a matter of urgency save Nigeria democracy from the hands of desperate politicians who are hair bent on compromising the judiciary to have their way.
The group noted that the call became necessary following a number of judgments that have emanated from the electoral tribunal across the country which has left many Nigerians wonder if the judiciary has also lost its high held axiom as the ‘last hope of the common man’.
Urhobo New Frontiers in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Chief James Onosakponaome and Mr Ovieighele Ochuko said that it’s worrisome to hear some of the grounds for which elections were nullified across the country and sadly in Delta in particular.
The group disclose that political money bags have invaded Abuja in their quest to compromise judicial officials, including justices of Court of Appeal who will sit to hear appeals emanating from different tribunal across the country.
The group statement which was titled, “Move To Compromise Court Of Appeal Justices, Need For CJN, NJC To Be Vigilant’, reads in part:
“The judiciary has remained the beacon of hope for the Nigerian people since the return to civil rule in 1999 and has managed to remain apolitical and the stabilizer of our current democratic journey. However, we are saddened and taken aback with recent pronouncement from electoral tribunals.
“One of such judgments that we considered ‘absurd’ for a lack of a better word to convey our meaning, is the decision of the National Assembly Petition Tribunal nullifying Rt Rev (Hon) Francis Ejiroghene Waive of APC electoral victory over the nonpublication of his academic qualification which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its portal.
“The mere fact that Waive submitted his academic qualification to INEC as required by the law suffices, but even when INEC showed evidence to the fact that Waive submitted his qualifications, and further wrote to notify them when he noticed that his qualification was not published, the Tribunal in what many analysts termed, “Father Christmas judgment” awarded victory to the PDP candidate, Chief Solomon Ahwinahwi for the Commission’s act of omission.
“Without prejudice to the lordship at the Court of Appeal, if candidates in an election compromise INEC official and ensure that the particular of its opponents are not published and he or she is rewarded by the Court, as this case seems to be, the court may be setting dangerous precedents that may consume us all. The court is a place of justice and should not reward people for subverting justice.
“We have it on good authority that the Delta PDP candidate, Hon. Solomon Ahwinahwi, is currently in Abuja window shopping for a willing Court of Appeal justices and in his usual boisterous manner was quoted to have said he used $80,000 to purchase judgement at Tribunal and now is offering $70,000 to $100,000 as cash advance payment for any willing judge to compromise justice, and he is being allegedly helped by a former Kogi senator who is running for governor, Dino Melaye and both of them were seen at Maitama on Friday.
“We, therefore, urge Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, President of Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem, National Judicial Council to as a matter of urgency step in to stop these dark agents and save Nigeria democracy from the hands of desperate politicians who will go to any length to compromise the judiciary in order to have their way.”
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has warned relevant government agencies to thread with caution and ensure the safety of a former minister of power and steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, who has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Service.
Agunloye is currently awaiting trial on corruption charges.
Soyinka likened the travail of Agunloye to the tragic 2001 assassination of former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige.
Agunloye had pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was presented before the Federal High Court.
The presiding judge ordered his remand in Kuje pending the issuance of bail.
Soyinka raised concerns about Agunloye’s safety within the correctional facility.
He emphasized the historical context, reminding the nation of Bola Ige’s murder, which remains unsolved to this day.
The Nobel laureate said, “I wish to alert the nation and the government that there exists a justifiable, high-level concern for his safety.
“His predecessor in office, the late Chief Bola Ige, was murdered in his bedroom by a professional assassin even while his police protection detail took time off, all at the same time, to a nearby eatery,” Soyinka stated.
Drawing attention to Agunloye’s previous collaboration in investigating Ige’s murder, Wole Soyinka expressed the potential dangers that the former minister might face due to the abrupt decision to remand him to prison.
Soyinka called for the establishment of an independent, non-partisan commission to thoroughly investigate the scandal surrounding Agunloye’s case.
“The latest development is sinister and alarming. Let it be understood that if anything happens to this pivotal witness while in custody, the inference will be heard loud, clear, and unambiguous,” Soyinka warned.
The backdrop to this controversy includes the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declaring Agunloye wanted in December 2023 on charges of forgery and corruption.
Soyinka’s statement serves as a powerful call for transparency, justice, and a careful examination of the circumstances surrounding Agunloye’s legal proceedings.
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
The Director General of the National Institute For Legislative And Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said on Thursday that the inadequate number of legislative drafters in National and state assemblies is affecting lawmaking in Nigeria
Sulaiman, who is a former Minister of National Planning stated this during the inauguration of the third NILDS Internship Programme on Legislative Drafting, in Abuja.
He said NILDS introduced the internship programme on Legislative Drafting when it discovered the need to strengthen the nation’s parliaments with experts that would make the lawmakers’ jobs easier.
The DG said the insufficient numbers of legislative drafters in the parliaments across Nigeria was because no university in the country was offering it as a course.
Sulaiman said all the interns are qualified lawyers who had either first class or second class upper at their degree level.
He said “The NILDS Internship Programme on Legislative Drafting is an initiative designed to provide interns with the requisite knowledge, and skills in Legislative Drafting.
“This is to enhance the capacity of interns in legislative drafting and equip them with the necessary knowledge needed to actively contribute to the drafting of laws and other legislative instruments for the legislature in the country.
“This initiative is important in view of the fact that legislative drafting is a very specialised area of law that is not taught as a regular course in conventional institutions of learning.
“It is on this note therefore, that I wish to urge the participants who have been carefully selected by our team of experts to consider themselves lucky to benefit from this great opportunity.
“The objectives of the Internship programme are specially designed to acquaint interns with knowledge on the principles and rules of legislative drafting, the legislative process and the role of a legislative drafter.
“They are expected to know the different types of legislation, such as bills, regulations, and treaties.
“They will also have the skills on legal research and analysis of legal issues relevant to legislative drafting, committee system in the Legislature, and to understand the impact of legislation on the society.
“This initiative is based on the commitment of the Institute to bridge the gap in the acute shortage of legislative drafters in the country despite the increasing demand for their services across the national and sub-national levels.”
Sulaiman added that the internship initiative was the first of its kind to be organised by any African Parliament.
He said, ” Nigeria is taking the lead and hopes that other Parliaments will follow suit.”
The DG said the leadership of the 10th National Assembly was commitment to sustaining the laudable initiative considering the gains and potentials it would have in consolidating and strengthening the legislative institution.
He said, “In 2022, two batches of interns were trained by the Institute. The training for the first batch commenced in February, while the 2nd batch commenced in May 2022.
“At the end of the programme, the interns were assessed, and the Institute granted the best interns employment opportunity with the Institute, and this year’s internship programme will not be an exception.
“The interns were also issued certificates, as well as letters of recommendation for engagement of their services by legislators.”
THISDAY reports that 30 interns were admitted into the programme.
The institute had so far trained 60 legislative drafters since the internship programme started in 2022.
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has nullified the victory of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, who is representing Plateau North- Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel led by Justice Daudu Williams held that the PDP did not validly nominate Mwadkwon.
The panel held that it is their view that court orders were not fully complied with by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) didn’t participate in the congress.
The court also ordered a rerun for the Plateau North Senatorial seat to be conducted in 90 days.
The court cited non-compliance with a subsisting court order from the Plateau State High Court made since 2020 for the PDP to conduct Congress before nominations, as a key factor in their decision.
The panel at the Appellate court led by Justice Okon Abang also nullified the victory of PDP’s Musa Avia representing Bassa North in the House of Representatives