The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab
Bulkachuwa, has cancelled this year's edition of the court's judges' annual
vacation which usually lasts about two months.
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The Media Officer, Sa'adatu Musa-Kachalla, said in a
statement on Sunday that this was due to "the enormous (election) petitions the
court is faced withÔÇØ.
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She explained that since election petitions were time-bound,
there would be the need for a timeous determination of the appeals arising from
them by the Court of Appeal.
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The statement also stated that 65 election petitions
relating to the last governorship, state House of Assembly, National Assembly
and presidential elections had so far been either dismissed or struck out while
735 were pending before 77 tribunals sitting across the country.
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The Federal High Court judges had last week commenced their
annual vacation and some other federal courts' judges were due to commence
theirs on Monday (July 15).
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But Musa-Kachalla quoted the President of the Court of
Appeal in her statement as saying, "we have to forfeit our annual vacation to
enable us entertain and determine all appeals arising from the various Election
Petition Tribunals transmitted to the courtÔÇØ.
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She said the Bulkachuwa communicated the directive to the
judges of the court in a two-page circular on July 2.
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According to the statement, Justice Bulkachuwa noted that
many appeals pending the before the court were timebound and would be due to
come up within the period of the court's vacation from July-October.
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"The need therefore arises for them to be heard and
determined within the said period,ÔÇØ the statement added.
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Bulkachuwa was also said to have directed the Presiding
Justices of the various divisions of the court to, in consultation with her,
draw up a roaster to enable "the Justices with medical appointments or other
pressing family issues to travel for not more than 15 days within the periodÔÇØ.
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She was said to have added that the planned roaster should
be such that "at any given time there is a three-member panel on ground in
every division to hear and determine appealsÔÇØ.
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The statement added, "In divisions with three (3) Justices,
only one (1) Justice can travel at a time and the office of the President of
the Court of appeal, is to be immediately notified to form a panel in that
Justice's absence should the need arise the circular further directed.
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"According to Justice Bulkachuwa, appeals arising from the
National and State Assemblies would be heard by a local panel of three members
except where it is controversial, then the President will constitute and send
another panel to hear it.
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"On the governorship appeals, the President of the Court of
Appeal disclosed that it would be heard by a five-member panel to be empanelled
by his lordship. Hon. Justice Bulkachuwa therefore, instructed the Presiding
Justices to notify her as soon as appeals from governorship elections were
filed to ensure their speedy determination.ÔÇØ
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Citing information from the Deputy Chief Registrar, Court of
Appeal, Election Petition Tribunal, Mrs. Rabi Yakubu, the statement stated that
that a total of 800 election petitions were filed as of June 17, 2019.
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It added, "A breakdown of this figure shows that, State
House of Assembly recorded the highest figure (of election petitions) of 415,
Senate 105, House of Representative 214, governorship 62 and presidential 4 .
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"According to the facts sheets emanating from the 77
Election Petition Tribunals setup by the President of the Court of Appeal as of
April 23, 2019, 65 petitions were either dismissed or struck out while 735
petitions are pending.ÔÇØ
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It added that a total of 1,769 appeals were determined and
3,517 motions disposed of by the Court of Appeal between January and April,
2019 across all the court's divisions in the country.
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The statement quoted the Head, Legal Services Unit, Mrs. Adaeze Oby Aziwe, as adding that "a total of 2,397 appeals and 5,120 motions were filed during the period under review. (Punchng)
