Toba Owojaiye reportingÂ
Abuja, NigeriaÂ
The National Judicial Council (NJC) is launching an investigation into the certified true copy (CTC) discrepancies surrounding the Kano State governorship election appeal at the Abuja Court of Appeal.
Truth Live News gathered that amidst the confusion and condemnation of the November 17 judgment, the Chief Registrar, Umar Mohammed Bangari, acknowledged clerical errors but asserted the judgment’s validity. The NJC, responding to received petitions, plans a thorough assessment, involving a plenary session and a committee, regardless of the CTC being part of the Supreme Court appeal initiated by Governor Yusuf.
Nigeria’s judiciary faces heightened scrutiny, notably since the lead-up to the 2023 general election and the contentious Kano state governorship election dispute. The court of appeal, on November 17, affirmed the lower tribunal’s decision, citing Yusuf’s non-membership in the NNPP during the election.
Wole Olanipekun, counsel to Governor Yusuf, contends that the court lacks jurisdiction to correct errors post the 60-day appeal timeline’s expiration on November 18. Olanipekun insists that only the Supreme Court, as per Section 285(7) of the Constitution, can entertain error correction applications after the court of appeal becomes functus officio.
The judicial landscape remains turbulent, with the NJC’s impending investigation adding complexity to the fallout from the Kano election appeal. The interplay between legal procedures, timelines, and the broader implications for electoral disputes intensifies the ongoing discourse surrounding Nigeria’s judiciary.
Whoever loses would surely have a lot of factors to blame.