Direct Election Tribunals in South-east To Deliver Judgement Electronically – Group To CJN

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The National Coalition Against Terrorism has urged the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Kayode Ariwoola to direct all election petition tribunals in the South-east to deliver their judgement via Zoom due to the alleged threat to the lives of the judges.

The group noted that the call became imperative and it reliably gathered that criminal elements were preparing to cause chaos and unrest if the judgement did not favour their interests.

To this end, the coalition, therefore, urged the leadership of the judiciary to immediately direct the delivery of the judgment of the Abia State election tribunal through electronic means and also evacuate all its staff from Abia State to restore the integrity of the judicial institution.

The National Coordinator of the group, Terrence Kuanum, stated this while addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja.

The coalition said it was no longer news that the governorship election tribunal in Kano was under threat by some elements which led to the delivery of the judgment through electronic means.

It said it was also aware of several threats to life and property in the South East over the activities of unknown gunmen which had resulted in so many loss of lives and property

The group stressed that in the last 10 years, it has also witnessed massive destruction of police stations, adding that police personnel no longer go to work because their lives are consistently under threat.

It stated: “For us, it is, therefore, an issue of concern that our judicial personnel who are assigned to carry out the patriotic duty at the various election tribunals across the South-east might come under threat considering the activities of terrorists within the region.

“We, therefore, request that the Chief Justice of the Federation immediately directs all tribunal judgments in the South-east to deliver their judgements through electronic means to save the judges involved in this patriotic assignment from coming under threat or even losing their lives.

“Further risking the lives of these judges will bring their rulings to disrepute knowing so well that they are under threat and might have delivered their judgment under duress to save their lives.”