By Gabriel Atumeyi

As the Presidential election petition tribunal moves to the supreme court, a civil society organization, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative has called on Chief Justice of Nigeria, justice Umaru Tanko to resist pressure from any individual and groups in society and put in place a supreme court panel that can discharge justice without fear or favour.

This was made known to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, in a statement made available by its Executive Director, Comrade Olumuyiwa Onlede, who disclosed that Justices Nguta and Mary Odili were not worthy to be on the supreme court panel that will oversee the case as they have been indicted for various offences in the past.

“Having watched the happenings surrounding the Presidential election petition tribunal (PEPT) that has shifted to the Supreme Court after the verdict of the Presidential Election Tribunal (PEFT), we deem it necessary and important at this critical time in our nation’s history to lend our voice and to also sound a note of warning against evil plot by enemies of our dear country, these elements are putting pressure on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to advance their greedy, selfish and personal interest to the detriment of the integrity of the judiciary.

“We are advising the Justice Mohammed Tanko, the Chief Justice of Nigeria not to succumb to their empty treat and resist any attempt of constituting a supreme court panel that will be seen as partisan and also seen as lacking in integrity.

“Our finger is pointing at Honourable Justice Nguta and Honourable Justice Mary Odili.

“Our complaints about Justice Nguta , having followed the activities that culminated to the raid on his residence by operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequent charges against him in the High court. We make bold to say that the decision of the court not to hear the case of a serving judge before disciplinary action by national Judicial Council (NJC) is not in any way enough to exonerate Justice Nguta from any wrong doing and money laundering charge against him considering the highly incriminating local and foreign currencies found in his house during the raid which he never denied.

“Having said this, we make bold to say that a man of this magnitude of accusation hanging on his neck is not fit to sit on the panel of a sensitive case like Presidential Election Tribunal Appeal. So we demand his exemption from the panel regardless his ranking among other supreme court judges.

“Our stand on Honourable Justice Mary Odili is simple as we refer your lordship to what happened between justice Zainab Bulkachuwa and the candidate of the People democratic Party in the 2019 general election where the later protested that Justice Bulkachuwa cannot sit on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) even as the president of the court of appeal base on the fact that she has an interest in one of the parties involved in the litigation i.e. All Progressive Congress (APC), being the wife of a chieftain of the party and a senator, we totally agree with this assertion in its merit.

“Your lordship Honourable Justice Mary Odili is the wife of the former Governor of Rivers State and a chieftain of People Democratic Party (PDP), and by virtue of this relationship , Justice Mary Odili has an interest in one of the parties involved in the litigation just like Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa the president of the court of appeal that honourably disqualified herself from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) and saved the integrity of the Panel and judiciary at large.

“We hereby declare Justice Mary Odili as unfit to sit on the supreme court panel on the election tribunal appeal.

Onlede urged Justice Mohammed Tanko to toe the line of honour and integrity and resist any pressure from within and outside the country to include Justice Nguta and Justice Mary Odili in the yet to be constituted presidential tribunal appeal panel as including them in the panel will amount to constituting a panel that lack integrity which will result to mockery of the arm of government call judiciary.

“That Nigerians are eagerly waiting with great interest and will use all legitimate and constitutional means within their right to resist every evil plot to undermine the judiciary,”