CUPP alleges plot to jettison S’Court tradition in Atiku’s appeal 

A coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has raised alarm over what it described as move to tinker with the list of the most senior justices of the Supreme Court to sit on appeal in the presidential petition of the PDP and its presidential candidate in the February 23, 2019 poll, Atiku Abubakar.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the CUPP Spokesman and National Chairman of the Action People’s Party (APP), Ikenga Ugochinyere said the CUPP had intercepted a list of “handpicked” justices in violation of the Supreme Court tradition of selecting seven most senior justices.

The CUPP said there was another move to hurriedly appoint five new justices into the Supreme Court as plan ‘B’ to sit on the appeal.

“We have intercepted a secret list of a 7- man panel of the Justices of Supreme Court about to be announced by the Chief Justice of Nigeria in a manner that jettisoned the age long tradition of selecting the members of the panel on the order of seniority.

“To ensure that nothing is left undone, the proposed screening of the nominated Justices of Supreme Court which was hitherto scheduled to take place in October 2019 was brought forward and concluded yesterday in gestapo manner and ready to be sent to the Senate for immediate confirmation.

“Fellow Nigerians, the reason for the rush in screening of the proposed Justices of Supreme Court is to use them as plan ‘B’ for the Presidential Election Appeal where they fail to push through the intercepted list and also not unconnected with the plan to populate the Governorship Appeal panels with these justices who are sympathetic to the ruling party with aim of giving a favourable judgment and also nullifying election of governors of opposition states,” the CUPP said.

The Justices allegedly selected to sit on Atiku’s Appeal as claimed by the CUPP contrary to the judicial tradition are; Rode Rhodes-Vivour JSC appointed 2010, Musa Datijo Muhammed appointed in 2012, John Inyang Okoro appointed in 2013, Chima Centus Nweze appointed in 2016, Aminu Adamu Augie appointed in 2016 and Uwani Dauda Bage appointed in 2018.