The President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, has cancelled the 2019 annual vacation for judges of the court.
Justice Bulkachuwa said the cancellation was to enable the appellate court attend to “the enormous petitions” in the 2019 election year.
A statement by the media officer of the appellate court, Sa’adat Musa, on Sunday, stated that this year’s annual vacations, from July to October, coincided with the period the appeals had to be determined.
She quoted the PCA as saying that, “we have to forfeit our annual vacation to enable us entertain and determine all appeals arising from the various Election Petition Tribunals transmitted to the Court.”
Thus, the statement noted that the PCA had directed that a roaster be drawn up for justices with medical appointments or other pressing family issues to travel for not more than 15 days within the period, and in “such a manner that at any given time, there is a three member panel on ground in every division to hear and determine appeals.”
“According to Justice Bulkachuwa, appeals arising from the National and State Assemblies would be heard by a local panel of three (3) members except where it is controversial, then the President will constitute and send another panel to hear it,” the statement read.
“On the Governorship appeals, the President of the Court of Appeal disclosed that it would be heard by a five (5) Member panel to be empanelled by his lordship.
“Hon. Justice Bulkachuwa therefore, instructed the Presiding Justices to notify him as soon as appeals from Governorship elections were filed to ensure their speedy determination.”
