Justice Mahmud Mohammed, the Chief Judge of Nigeria, has issued a strong warning to the Peoples Democratic Party to maintain its limit within politics and cease from making derogatory statements about the judiciary.
This warning is coming on the heel of allegation credited to the PDP where it complained of unduly interference by the Court of Appeal on the various cases piled up before the elections petitions tribunals, Daily Post reports.
Justice Mohammed who spoke through his mouthpiece, Ahuraka Isah said: “Somebody has to counsel Metuh to avoid treading where he has limited knowledge, because Judiciary is not where one makes allegations without proofs.”
The number one judge of the country said that the judiciary’s integrity is very much intact and he will do all to defend it from being soiled by anyone or party, adding that members of the All Progressives Congress and the PDP had lost and won at the tribunals in the country.
He said: “The president of the Court of Appeal has influenced the tribunal to also give judgments in favour of the PDP members that have won their cases.
“We all agree that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides for freedom of expression, but it cannot be exercised in isolation recklessly like loose cannon.
“I make bold to state that the integrity of the Judiciary this time around is non-negotiable.
“Independent judiciary intrinsically means judges can make decisions irrespective of the political winds that are blowing. And we are indeed doing same at the election petition tribunal.”
The PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh, had few days ago alleged that the Court of Appeal had been interfering in court cases with a view of turning the dice in favour of the APC.
Metuh noted that his party wanted to formally inform the president of Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa on the reports of alleged interference emanating from her office which points to the activities of various election petition tribunals and other judicial cases handled in a manner that will give the APC an edge.
He said: “While we would not want to believe that the President of the Court of Appeal is so involved, given the sensitivity of her office, we wish to caution, in very strong terms, that such is completely unacceptable as it principally detracts from the sanctity of the judiciary as the citadel of justice and erode the trust reposed on it by the people.”
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