Nasarawa’s Tribunal Verdict: Group Wants Appeal Court To Critically Evaluate Dissenting Judgement

..Hails Justice Ibrahim Mashi

A leading Civil Society Organization in Nigeria, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace & Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has called on the appeal court to critically evaluate the dissenting judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, on the basis of its inherent fundamentals and strengths in the face of law.

The group argued that the majority judgement delivered by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, on Monday, October 2nd, which faulted the victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule and subsequently declared the Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner, deliberately ignored some salient objections as raised by the respondents.

ADAPHA, made these known during a Press Conference addressed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Sulaimon Suberu on Friday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) press centre, located in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital.

It insisted that the judgement largely predicated on technicalities, adding that the dissenting judgement clearly raised certain pertinent issues that need to be painstakingly reviewed and addressed by the appellate court.

The statement read in part:”While we believe in the sanctity of the judiciary and it’s pivotal role as the pillar of democracy, we are however, of strong opinion that unlike States like Kaduna, Sokoto, Taraba and Ogun, with almost the same contents of petitions, the judgement in Nasarawa State did not completely and thoroughly dwell on the merit and competence of the petitions before it.

“Our methodological evaluation of the tenets of the judgement revealed that it majorly predicated on technicalities, thereby jettisoning the substance of the petitions on the point of law and it’s intrinsic values.

“First and foremost, the absence of prior declaratory relief setting aside Governor Abdullahi Sule’s election and return is indeed a remains a source of concern to us, as well as how the judgement allowed evidence without written depositions on oath by subpoenaed witnesses called by the petitioners to stay.

“Other fundamental area of concern is the brutal manner in which objections to admissibility and tendering of documents as raised by respondents were ignored among other pertinent issues of law.

“Having said that, we salute the courage, resilience and bias for truth, objectivity and fairness as exhibited by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, in his dissenting judgement; obviously, history will never forget him.

“It is on that prism that we call on the appellate court to critically and objectively look into the logic and substance of the dissenting judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, as a way of upholding the unassailable principles of fairness and objectivity inherent in the judiciary, as a very revered arm of government.

“In the meantime, we passionately appeal to the good people of Nasarawa State to remain calm and be law abiding, as Governor Abdullahi Sule still remains the Executive Governor of the State in the face of law.

“We want to assure them that the judiciary, as the last hope of the common man will address every wrong in the Tribunal’s ruling of Monday at the Appeal Court without fear of favour and with the merit of the case.

“We, hereby passionately implore their Lordships at the appeal court to critically look at those fundamentals and treat it accordingly on its merit”.