The President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Zainab
Bulkachuwa, has indicated that a female senior judge will be
drafted to preside over the Presidential Election Petitions
Tribunal, Daily Trust reports.
Justice Bulkachuwa dropped the hint on Wednesday shortly after
stepping down as the head following pressure from the PDP and its
candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to recuse herself from the tribunal over
her husband’s position as a senator-elect of the APC.
Justice Bulkachuwa joked that she hoped the parties would not
accuse the next female judge of “bias”.
Sources at the Court of Appeal say the second most senior judge,
Justice Monica Dongban-Menssem of the Enugu Division of the court
may resume on the panel. The next most senior female judge is
Justice Morenike Ogunwumiju of Benin Division.
Our correspondent gathered that there are no plans to
reconstitute the panel which has Justices Abdu Aboki, Peter Ige,
Samuel Oseji and Joseph Ikyegh as members.
Justice Bulkachuwa opted to withdraw from the panel for
“personal reasons” despite a unanimous decision of the panel
dismissing Atiku and PDP’s application, which they said was without
proof and against Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution which
prohibited gender discrimination.
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