Why the challenge by Judge Bulkachuwa is important

The judiciary was saved from major embarrbadment when the President of the Court of Appeal, Judge Zainab Bulkachuwa, withdrew, Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the presidency of the electoral petition instituted by the presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, contesting the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

As the Court of Appeal was the court of first instance for the motions relating to the presidential election under our Constitution, Judge Bulkachuwa had constituted the panel of five judges composed of her own president.

The PDP, its presidential candidate, and other relevant parties complained that Judge Bulkachuwa, Progressive Congresswoman, APC, Senator Elect of the Bauchi North District, Adamu Bulkachuwa, and the mother of the United States, is the only member of the party. Aliyu Haidar Bulkachuwa, candidate of the same party in the 2019 general election, who reportedly campaigned for Buhari, should recuse himself from the panel because of the risk of bias against the PDP.

Atiku's request to challenge Bulkachuwa's challenge had drawn attention not only to the committee but to the entire judiciary, with the public closely watching what the judge would do. Judge Olabisi Ige's decision, which was unanimously adopted, dismissed the motion, finding that it did not have sufficient weight to infer Judge Bulkachuwa's risk of bias. Despite the decision, Bulkachuwa chose to withdraw "for personal reasons".

We are relieved that the President of the Court of Appeal has taken the path of honor. With the deep involvement of her close family members in the 2019 elections, she should have abstained, ab initio, from being part of a panel investigating the conduct of a petition in the interests of justice and fair play.

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The issue is neither the bad nor the question of whether Bulkachuwa J. had ever shown a tendency to be biased, even though PDP had pointed out that she had "prejudiced" at the inaugural session. when she had observed that "regardless of the quality of an election". there are inevitably complaints ". Current law simply says that when a judge is directly or weakly bound to a case, he must stay away from it in order not to be perceived as a partial party.

We congratulate the judge for her patriotic action. If she had remained at the head of this group, it would have been difficult to believe whatever the result of her work.

The judiciary is the last hope of the citizen. It is important that the courts resolve all the controversy surrounding the presidential election so that justice is not only done but also perceived as such. Anything that goes against this would continue to call into question the legitimacy of the occupier of the post of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We can not afford that.

The judiciary was saved from major embarrbadment when the President of the Court of Appeal, Judge Zainab Bulkachuwa, withdrew, Wednesday, May 22, 2019, the presidency of the electoral petition instituted by the presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, contesting the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

As the Court of Appeal was the court of first instance for the motions relating to the presidential election under our Constitution, Judge Bulkachuwa had constituted the panel of five judges composed of her own president.

The PDP, its presidential candidate, and other relevant parties complained that Judge Bulkachuwa, Progressive Congresswoman, APC, Senator Elect of the Bauchi North District, Adamu Bulkachuwa, and the mother of the United States, is the only member of the party. Aliyu Haidar Bulkachuwa, candidate of the same party in the 2019 general election, who reportedly campaigned for Buhari, should recuse himself from the panel because of the risk of bias against the PDP.

Atiku's request to challenge Bulkachuwa's challenge had drawn attention not only to the committee but to the entire judiciary, with the public closely watching what the judge would do. Judge Olabisi Ige's decision, which was unanimously adopted, dismissed the motion, finding that it did not have sufficient weight to infer Judge Bulkachuwa's risk of bias. Despite the decision, Bulkachuwa chose to withdraw "for personal reasons".

We are relieved that the President of the Court of Appeal has taken the path of honor. With the deep involvement of her close family members in the 2019 elections, she should have abstained, ab initio, from being part of a panel investigating the conduct of a petition in the interests of justice and fair play.

The issue is neither the bad nor the question of whether Bulkachuwa J. had ever shown a tendency to be biased, even though PDP had pointed out that she had "prejudiced" at the inaugural session. when she had observed that "regardless of the quality of an election". there are inevitably complaints ". Current law simply says that when a judge is directly or weakly bound to a case, he must stay away from it in order not to be perceived as a partial party.

We congratulate the judge for her patriotic action. If she had remained at the head of this group, it would have been difficult to believe whatever the result of her work.

The judiciary is the last hope of the citizen. It is important that the courts resolve all the controversy surrounding the presidential election so that justice is not only done but also perceived as such. Anything that goes against this would continue to call into question the legitimacy of the occupier of the post of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We can not afford that.

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