The Court of Appeal has debunked rumour making the round that ten dead judges were among the 250 members of election petition tribunal recently constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari.
After the inauguration of members of the tribunal by the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, there were reports that ten of the members were either dead or retired judges.
The Court of Appeal in a statement by its Media Officer, Sa’adatu Musa Kachalla, stated that “there was no name of a dead or retired judge on the list”, to the Supreme Court for the swearing-in ceremony by the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Tanko Muhammed.
It described the claim of dead and retired judges on the list as false, misleading and a total misrepresentation of the good intentions of the President aimed at building not only a vibrant judiciary, but an endearing democratic society
Read the full statement below
The attention of the Court of Appeal has been drawn to a malicious publication making the rounds in some portals that the names of 10 dead Judges featured in the list of the 250 Judges sworn-in in January 26, 2019 as Election Petition Tribunal Chairmen and Members.
In view of the above we wish to state that there was no name of a dead or retired Judge on the list we sent to the Supreme Court for the swearing-in ceremony by His Lordship the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Mr Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed.
The Court of Appeal therefore, finds this claim to be false, misleading and a total misrepresentation of the good intentions of the Hon. President aimed at building not only a vibrant judiciary, but an endearing democratic society.
The Hon. President had painstakingly through the efforts of the states Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association and the Chief Judges of the 36 states selected these men and women of integrity to become members of the Election Petition Tribunal.
The Court of Appeal therefore craves the indulgence of the members of the public to disregard this fake News in its entirety.