The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) Tuesday called on the Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, to investigate allegations of mind-blowing corruption against Appeal Court justices hearing appeals emanating from the 2023 general election petitions.
At a press briefing, Tuesday, national coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko urged Ariwoola to intervene administratively so that the president of the Court of Appeal will take transparent and immediate steps to quicken access to justice by political litigants.
He urged Ariwoola to decentralise the process of adjudicating the appeals emanating from the 2023 election petitions so as to dismantle impediments to the dispensation of justice and to open the process to accountability and the constitutional principle of transparency.
He said: “We have received alarming information from highly credible sources within the judiciary, which compels us to bring these critical issues to the attention of the public and the relevant authorities.
“Our primary concern is the decision by the president of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to centralise the hearing of political cases relating to the House of Assembly, National Assembly, and governorship elections. This decision has resulted in a significant backlog of cases and created severe inconveniences for litigants and their legal representatives.
“The centralisation of cases in the Court of Appeal has created serious issues that demand immediate attention and resolution. The inconveniences and additional expenses incurred by litigants are not consistent with the principles of justice, transparency, and accessibility.”
