The Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday pointed out why he
asked the President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa, to withdraw from
the presidential election petition tribunal.
Abubakar and his party, PDP had
requested the withdrawal of Bulkachuwa due to her link with a member of the All
Progressives Congress, APC.
The former Vice President had
established that Bulkachuwa, who is the head of a five-man presidential
election panel, was the wife of an APC Bauchi Senator-elect.
Following Abubakar and his party,
PDP, request, Bulkachuwa had withdrawn from the presidential election petition
tribunal.
However, Abubakar in a statement
said his “legal team’s objection was not a reflection on Justice Bulkachuwa’s
character or competence.
“As a matter of fact, I have
great respect for her, being a pioneer and advocate for gender equality and
female empowerment.
“One of the principal maxims of
the Common Law is nemo judex in causa sua (no man shall be a judge in his own
case). The call by my legal team for Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to recuse
herself from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal was predicated on this
principle, being that her husband, Alhaji Mohammed Bulkachuwa, is an All
Progressives Congress Senator-elect and the case she was expected to adjudicate
upon had a bearing on that party.
“It is with this in mind that I
commend Justice Bulkachuwa for recusing herself from the Presidential Election
Petition Tribunal Panel hearing my petition against the Independent National
Electoral Commission and the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Her action showed courage and is
an act of patriotism. She has, by this action, increased the confidence the
public have for the judiciary.
“Not only do I commend her, I
also pray, especially in this holy month of Ramadan, that Justice will be done
by the tribunal according to the fear of God and not in keeping with respect
for the powers that be.
“May God bless the judiciary and
may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
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