NUT PROTEST : WIKE WARNS AGAINST POLITICISING INSECURITY. (PHOTO).

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 NUT Protest : Wike Warns Against Politicising Insecurity The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned against politicising insecurity amid protests by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, FCT wing, over the killing and abduction of school staff and children in Oyo State. Teachers stormed the FCTA Secretariat in Abuja to condemn the killing of Michael Oyedokun and to demand the release of abducted pupils and teachers from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle in Oriire Local Government Area. The FCT minister addressed the protesters on Tuesday, saying the federal government is on its toes working to secure the rescue of the schoolchildren and their teachers. Wike urged protesters to avoid turning the tragedy into a political issue and to give security efforts time to produce results. Chairman of the union in the FCT, Mr Abdullahi Shafa, explained that the nationwide solidarity protest was to condemn the killing of the teacher and abduction of the school chil...

SITTING JUDGES SHOULD NOT PRESIDE OVER ELECTION TRIBUNALS- AFE BABALOLA. (PHOTO).


Sitting Judges Should Not Preside Over Election Tribunals – Afe Babalola

Legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, on Monday, said sitting judges should not preside over election petitions tribunals. 

The nonagenarian Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said judges who preside over election tribunals should be separate from regular court judges to avoid the halt of cases unrelated to elections.

He suggested that retired judges and respectable SANs should constitute tribunal judges.

The legal luminary, who spoke at an event in Ado-Ekiti to mark his 60th anniversary at the Bar, said the judiciary needs a total overhaul.

“Our judiciary today needs a total overhaul and you cannot do it without a new constitution,” he said. “I have about three cases myself in respect of matters arising from the university.”

“For the past four years, these cases have been on. We have some judges here, the headquarters won’t be able to sit for many months because they are handling what they call election petitions.

“Election petitions should not be handled by sitting judges, they should be decided only by the committee set up consisting of senior advocates and retired judges in that case regular courts would not close down,” Babalola stated.

With the conduct of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as the March 18 governorship and state assemblies polls, many aggrieved contestants filed petitions at tribunals sitting in Abuja and in states, challenging the declarations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Dignitaries at the occasion include former President Olusegun Obasanjo; the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah; the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi; former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku; human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), amongst others.


 

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