Afrigather A Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Affiliation of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Sunday drew consideration to what it described as contradictory election judgements that it stated might disturb the peace in Plateau State.
Addressing a press convention on Sunday in Abuja, HURIWA’s nationwide coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, stated current occasions in Plateau have forged a shadow of doubt and suspicion over the integrity of the judiciary.
HURIWA notably raised considerations over what it described because the “rigging” of election judgments to present the benefit to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“These considerations transcend post-election issues and lengthen to pre-election instances, which, in accordance with established authorized precedent, shouldn’t be revisited on the appellate stage,” the group stated.
One of many major points raised by HURIWA was the issuance of contradictory judgements by the Enchantment Courts in Plateau State.
“In some situations the place the APC got here in second, PDP candidates had been eliminated, and the certificates of return was given to the APC, whereas in different instances the place the APC got here in third or decrease, the courts ordered a rerun. HURIWA considers this inconsistency alarming and believes it raises suspicions of bias.
“Particularly, within the case of Plateau North Senatorial District gained by Sen. Simon Mwadkwon of the PDP and the APC candidate coming in third, the Panel, in its judgment in Courtroom of Enchantment No. CA/J/EP/PL/SEN/12/2023 delivered on Sunday, October, 2023, curiously annulled the PDP’s victory and ordered INEC to conduct a rerun election amongst all of the events.
“Within the case of Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency gained by Hon. Musa Agar of the PDP and the place the APC candidate additionally got here in third, the Panel, in its judgment in Courtroom of Enchantment No. CA/J/EP/PL/HR/14/2023 delivered on Friday, October, 2023, annulled the victory of the PDP and ordered a rerun excluding the PDP.
“Within the third Enchantment Case of Shendam/Quaan-Pan/Mikang Federal Constituency, gained by Hon. Isaac Kwallu of the PDP with John Dafwan of the APC as runner-up, the Enchantment Courtroom Justices in Courtroom of Enchantment No. CA/J/EP/PL/HR/18/2023 annulled the victory of the PDP candidate, declared the APC candidate because the outright winner, and ordered that the Certificates of Return issued to the victorious PDP candidate be withdrawn and a recent Certificates of Return issued to the APC candidate, ” HURIWA stated.
Stating that Pre-election issues have additionally been subjected to judicial evaluate, resulting in the overturning of victories recorded by the PDP within the 2023 elections, HURIWA emphasised that the Courtroom of Enchantment didn’t ship judgments primarily based on the legislation and the details, because the legislation dictates, stressing that the inconsistency with established authorized norms and rules raises considerations concerning the independence of the judiciary.
