TheNewsGuru

Tag: #AllEyesOnJudiciary

  • Election Tribunal: Nigerians set for mega solidarity walk to demand judicial transparency

    Election Tribunal: Nigerians set for mega solidarity walk to demand judicial transparency

    Nigerians are gearing up for a show of solidarity and advocacy as they await the highly anticipated judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).

    The call for justice has led to the organization of a solidarity walk set to take place in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on Sunday, August 20th, 2023, with participants urged to converge at the City Gate.

    The momentum is expected to be sustained in other states across the country, with a one million-man march expected to take place the following day, Monday, August 21st, at the Ring Road in Edo State, where participants are encouraged to dress in white and black outfits.

    A key highlight of this advocacy and solidarity walk is the campaign, “All Eyes On The Judiciary,” which has gained significant traction on social media and is now being prominently displayed on billboards, fliers and t-shirts across major cities, including the Federal Capital Territory.

    The founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Anap Foundation Atedo Peterside, said on Friday that the “All Eyes On The Judiciary” campaign statement was a neutral expression that should not provoke offense in a conscientious and upright society.

    Meanwhile, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) had directed that the “All Eyes On The Judiciary” billboards be brought down, saying the campaign message was intended to blackmail the presidential election petition tribunal. It later announced the suspend some of its top officials.

    These billboards were funded by a group known as the Diaspora for Good Governance.

    The Director-General of ARCON Olalekan Fadolapo, said the actions taken by the Council were done in alignment with its administrative procedures, adding that the suspended officials would have their day in court with a committee that would review the entire process.

    The 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act, as amended, have provided a 180-day timeframe for the determination of election petitions by Election Tribunals, without provision for an extension of the time.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that based on this provision of law, the PEPT has until August 28th to delivered its judgement.

    Both Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) are seeking to upturn the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

     

  • #AllEyesOnJudiciary: Tribunal Judge exposes attempts to subvert justice

    #AllEyesOnJudiciary: Tribunal Judge exposes attempts to subvert justice

    Amidst ongoing campaigns advocating for the judiciary to champion the cause of justice and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, a tribunal judge has sounded the alarm over deliberate attempts by certain influential figures to undermine the integrity of the judicial process.

    The chairman of the Kano National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge, has been hailed as a beacon of integrity and resilience for her bold stance against attempts by corrupt politicians to compromise the sanctity of justice through insidious gratification and monetary inducements.

    Azinge accused a yet-to-be identified Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of lending himself as a pawn in the hands of politicians eager to sway the Tribunal’s judgment through bribery.

    Speaking in open court before the commencement of the session on Tuesday in Kano, the judge lamented how senior lawyers particularly engage in the unethical practice, bringing disrepute to the profession.

    Conveying her frustration, Azinge said: “A Senior Advocate of Nigeria who has a pending case before me is attempting to bribe me. Money has been flying in this tribunal since yesterday. Whoever collects money on my behalf, God will punish that person and his generation yet unborn to the fourth generation.

    She further stressed: “Let me repeat again that nobody should approach me with money again. I’m contented with what God has given me, and I have a roof over my head”.

    The gravity of her allegations resonated throughout the legal community, prompting her peers to urge her to escalate the matter to the appropriate authorities.

    Reacting to the allegation, the Kano state government has expressed concern over the alleged attempt to influence the Tribunal’s decision.

    Resilient Support for ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary’ Campaign continues to gain momentum nationwide

    In a Statement made available to journalists Thursday, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Halilu Baba Dantiye, said: “The attention of Kano state government has been drawn to an allegation made by the chairman of Kano National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal Hon. Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge…

    “The Kano state government views the incidence with a great concern as there is a strong rumour going round that some strong forces within the APC whose eyes are on Kano Election Petition Tribunals are bent on repeating what they did in 2019. They are all out to use whatever means to sway justice as was done previously”.

    It would be recalled that the “All eyes on the judiciary” billboards that emerged in Abuja and several other states had led to controversies that led to the suspension of top officials of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCO).

    ARCO’s Director General Olalekan Fadolapo, explained that the affected officials had not diligently fulfilled their gatekeeping role, leading to the unauthorized dissemination of the billboard campaign.

    A former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and a Public Affairs Commentator Sam Amadi, has urged citizens to support the #AllEyesOnJudiciary movement, emphasizing that it was a patriotic duty to expose any corruption lurking within the judicial system.

    “The judiciary is the bastion of truth and justice on earth. If that place is not restored to its priestly order Society is ruined. We have to protect the rivers of justice to keep society’s blood pure & and efficacious. This is why we’re shouting and saying let’s make it accountable.

    “The judiciary is not only judges. The judiciary includes lawyers who are probably more corrupt as they get older and more honoured. As a young lawyer with Gani and Olisa we hear stories of these senior lawyers and their atrocities. Judges are more honest than senior lawyers.

    “Now you know why #AllEyesOnJudiciary is a patriotic duty of every lawyer. There’s corruption in the judiciary,” Amadi said.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the fervour surrounding the #All Eyes on the Judiciary campaign has refused to wane by the removal of the campaign billboards and suspension of ARCO officials.

    Civil Society Organisations and individuals are now printing branded items and stickers, determined to assert their commitment to justice and sustain the momentum of the movement.

    A campaigner told our reporter: “I got really pissed at the Billboard issues, but I also got motivated. Now I have started printing stickers. We will be in their faces whether they like it or not”.