The list of the Seven Justices that will determine the appeal filed by the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party’s counterpart Peter Obi in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election has been unveiled.
The court notices signed by Zainab M. Garba in the office of the registrar, said by Order 2 Rule 1 (2) of the Supreme Court’s Rules 1985 as amended, the notice is deemed as sufficiently served on the parties.
According to the information in the notice, the list of members of the panel to sit on the appeals include justices Musa Dattijo Muhammad, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen M. Ogunwumiju, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar and Emmanuel Agim.
Meanwhile, the apex court has also fixed Monday, October 23, 2023, for the hearing petition of Atiku against President Bola Tinubu’s victory at the election.
This was contained in a memo seen by The Matrix.
On the same day, the apex court will also hear the motion by Atiku seeking to bring fresh evidence to prove that President Bola Tinubu submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a hearing notice sighted by Channels Television on Thursday, the apex court fixed 9 am of the date for Atiku’s lawyers and those of President Tinubu to address its panel of seven Justices on whether it has powers to grant the request.
Also billed to address the court on the contentious request are lawyers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who are joint respondents in the motion.
They are to argue and cite relevant laws on whether such request is grantable under the country’s Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
The documents Atiku sought to tender are the academic records of Tinubu, which were handed over to him by the Chicago State University on Monday, October 2.
In another development, the House of Representatives resolved on Thursday to call on the Federal Government to appoint new judges for the Supreme Court to ensure effective justice delivery in the country.
The resolution of the House followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Patrick Umoh, the lawmaker representing Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State.
In the motion tagged ‘Urgent need for the Federal Government to appoint new justices to the Supreme Court to ensure expeditious and effective justice delivery in the country’, Umoh noted that, “The
In its resolution, the House urged, “The Federal Government to appoint nine new justices to the Supreme Court in order to expedite the hearing and determination of matters for effective and efficient justice delivery in Nigeria.”
It also mandated its Committee on Federal Judiciary to ensure compliance with the resolution.
Umoh had before the House resolution noted, “The current number of justices of the apex court has dropped to an all-time low of 11 Justices, making it 10 justices short of its full complement of 21 justices, as stipulated by the Constitution.”
The House also noted that “This is a post-election season where the court has to hear and determine electoral matters from different parts of the country within a short period of time as mandated by the Constitution.
“Aware that the Supreme Court’s docket is full for the year 2023 as parties cannot have hearing dates for matters filed within the year, except in election petitions, owing to a considerable volume of matters pending before the court.
“Worried that the non-appointment of new justices to the Supreme Court has stalled expeditious, effective and efficient justice delivery; impeded transactions and economic development; limited citizen’s access to justice; put the current Justices of the court under immense mental and physical pressure; and has affected the policy-making function of the court;
“Commended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his promise to promote the rule of law and support the judiciary, and his signing into the law the constitutional alteration unifying the retirement age and pension benefits of the judicial officers.”
