Ibrahim Mohammed, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), Bode Rhodes-Vivour and five other justices of the supreme court are on the panel hearing Atiku Abubakar’s appeal against the judgement of the tribunal affirming the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Sylvester Ngwuta and Mary Odili, both senior
justices, are not on the panel.
The constitution of the panel has been a subject of controversy.
A caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) in the house of representatives had
asked that Odili, Ngwuta and Rhodes-Vivour be
appointed to the panel to hear the appeal.
Atiku, PDP presidential candidate in the last
election, had filed an appeal at the apex court
to challenge Buhari’s victory at the election
petition tribunal.
It is a tradition at the supreme court for senior
justices, including the CJN, to preside over
presidential election appeals.
Odili, a senior justice, is the wife of Peter Odili,
former Rivers state governor and founding member of the PDP.
Ngwuta, a senior justice, resumed duties at the
supreme court in September after being
prosecuted for alleged corruption by the Buhari
administration.
Besides the CJN and Rhodes-Vivour, the other
justices currently hearing the appeal are Olukayode Ariwoola, Amiru Sanusi, John Okoro,
Ejembi Eko and Uwani Abba-ji.
Young-po Reporters 