Members Of Tribunal To Hear Atiku’s Case Are Working For Buhari – CUPP

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) on Tuesday alleged that it had information that some of the judges on the panel to hear the petition against the presidential election results by Atiku Abubakar, might be leaning towards favouring President Muhammadu Buhari.

Atiku and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had petitioned the tribunal over the results of the presidential election held on February 23.

CUPP spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, in a statement listed the names of the judges as president of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Adamu-Bulkachuwa; Abdul Aboki; Peter Ige; J. S. Ikyegh, and S. C. Oseji.

Mr Ugochinyere said the presidency endorsed the list which will soon be made public.

“The approved list which was intercepted by our credible insider informant during conveyance from the Villa back to the Court of Appeal was drawn from a list of eight justices submitted to the Villa for approval.

“Nigerians will recall that we had earlier raised alarm over the donation of a Senatorial ticket to the husband of the President of the Court of Appeal by the APC. We had questioned the rationale behind such donation when he did not participate in the Primaries if not to secure the assurance of his wife, the President of the Court, to constitute with the approval of the Presidency the Panel that will hear any petition challenging the outcome of the elections.

“It was also a failure to secure similar assurances from the Chief Justice of the Federation that led to the onslaught on him by the Federal Government as the Honourable Chief Justice had insisted on doing only justice and nothing else.

“The list is drafted in such a way that without any matter properly being before the Justices, the Panel has been rigged and skewed with three of the Justices on the list having been approached and commitments secured from them that no matter the evidence put before them, they were going to rule in favour of the President.

“They are now agents and officers of the President and not officers in the temple of justice,” he said.

The spokesman also asked the judges to recuse themselves from the panel.