Stay off Kogi election petition- Group tells Court of Appeal

By Christiana Ekpa

A civil society organization, the Northern Initiative for the Defence of Democracy and Justice (NIDD), has accused the Court of Appeal of usurping the powers of the Kogi State Governorship Petition Tribunal.
The Co-ordinator of the group, Nureeddeen Sadiq, while addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, said if such unhindered interruption was allowed, the future is bleak for the judiciary and the entire country.
He said: “The Nigeria judiciary is at it again, with the recent Appeal Court’s decision in Abuja attempting to revise and over-rule the earlier decision of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting also in Abuja.
“Ths earlier decision of the tribunal was that all parties involved in the case should jointly inspect the materials used in the 11th November, 2023 governorship election, which should be a major path to determine the veracity of claims and counter-claims at the tribunal.
“It came as a major surprise to many of us in the Northern Initiative for the Defence of Democracy and Justice who have been following the activities and openness of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
“This is just the first time in recent years that an appellate court will be meddling, interrupting and usurping the true powers of a tribunal and trying to distract it from performing its traditional role.
“Our fear is that if such unhindered interruption is allowed then, the future is blink for the judiciary and the entire country.”
The group noted that the tribunal, which is a direct fact-finding panel, has all the powers to issue directives and orders on the mode of its operations in order to accomplish its duties.
The group recalled that the tribunal on the 25th November, 2023 made many orders in favour of the petitioners — Muritala Ajaka and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, saying one such order was inspection of electoral materials used for the November 11, 2023, Governorship Election of Kogi State.
It explained that the orders were duly served on Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, by substituted means on the 18th December 2023 together with the petition.
The group added that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the 1st Respondent in the petition, wrote to all the parties in the matter for a meeting with a view to draw up modalities of complying with orders of the tribunal.
The group stressed the meeting was held on the 29th of December, 2023 at the INEC headquarters with all the parties duly represented, adding that inspections were agreed to be commenced on the 4th of January, 2024.