Judges embark on a five-day break to vote in election
As the preparations for the general elections gather momentum, the Court of Appeal has constituted an Election Petitions Tribunal for the governorship, national, and state Houses of Assembly polls in Kwara State.
The tribunal secretary, Aisha Fika, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday.
The statement said the acting Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Abiodun Adebara, approved the use of High Court Room 9 for the tribunal sitting.
The statement read in part, “This is to notify the general public that pursuant to the powers conferred on the Honorable President, Court of Appeal, by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), the Hon. President, Justice M.B. Dongbaben-Mensam, (CFR), has constituted the Governorship, National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal for Kwara State for the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
“Sequel to the above, the Honorable Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Abiodun Adebara (acting Chief Judge, Kwara State), has granted the use of High Court Room No. 9 (Former Hon. Justice Gaffar’s Court) situated at the Kwara State High Court of Justice Complex, Ilorin, Kwara State, for the use of the tribunal.
“For any inquiry, the public is hereby advised to contact the registry/secretariat of the tribunal at the above-mentioned court address.”
The statement promised that the public would be notified when the inaugural sitting of the tribunal commences.
Meanwhile, judges of the Federal High Court across the country have been asked to embark on a five-day break to enable them to participate in the forthcoming presidential and National Assembly elections, holding on Saturday February 25.
The court, in a memo signed by its Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, stated that the judges would embark on the break from Wednesday, February 22, and resume on Tuesday, February 28.
The break will allow the judges to vote in the elections.
There will, however, be one judge available for each geo-political zones to hear urgent matters during the period.
Justice Tsoho announced this in a February 20 letter titled ‘Break for the 2023 general elections’.
It read part, “In view of the forthcoming 2023 general elections, Your Lordships are by this circular permitted to observe a short break in order to perform your civic duties.
“Your Lordships are to sit up to Wednesday, 22nd February 2023 before proceeding on the break and shall resume work on Tuesday, 28th February 2023.
“The administrative judges in the Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt Judicial Divisions, shall ensure that a judge is designated to cater for the North, South-West, South-South and South-East geo-political areas respectively, regarding urgent matters during the period.”
Saturday’s elections across the country will enable the electorate to elect the President and Vice President and members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
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