Edo Council Poll: PDP seeks disqualification of Appeal Tribunal judges

Source: pointblanknews.com

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State on Thursday asked two members of the state appeal tribunal, Justices E.A. Edigin and J.I Acha, to disqualify themselves from further participating as members .

The state chief judge had recently appointed a three-man appeal panel, including Edigin and Acha, to sit on the appeal filed by PDP against the ruling of a lower tribunal that re-run election be conducted in Esan North East Local Government Area.

Counsel to PDP, Mr. Kingsley Obamogie, told the tribunal that having earlier accused the judges of corruption and abuse of office, among other issues, there was no way the judges would be impartial.

In addition to a petition to the National Judicial Council, Edo PDP, through its chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, in a letter dated 18th November, 2003, complained to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukthar, that both judges attended All Progressive Congress (APC) rally in Benin City.

Having allegedly brazenly breached the code of conduct for judicial officers by attending the APC rally, held PDP, there was no way the judges would be impartial in a matter involving APC.

PDP, in another letter to the Edo State Chief Judge dated 24th March 2014, urged him to review the appointment of the alleged APC-sympathizer judges as members of the appeal tribunal.

Having heard the motions and counter-motions by the parties, the tribunal adjourned till Monday 7th April 2014, for response and further hearing.