Where is another judge you promised? - Atiku, PDP query Appeal Court president, Bulkachuwa in new letter -

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar have expressed their concerns over the delay in replacing the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, on the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

As the president of the appellate court, Justice Bulkachuwa has the exclusive power to appoint a judge of the court to serve on the tribunal’s panel.

Sequel to this, the legal team of the petitioners, led by Dr Liy Uzoukwu  (SAN), had on Friday written to Justice Bulkachuwa to remind her of her promise to appoint her replacement.

Ozoukwu said, “I am not aware of any new development. We have not been served with any hearing notice. But we have written to the President of the Court of Appeal to remind her of her promise to bring in  a replacement, having recused herself.  It is yet to be fulfilled. That is where we are.

“We are waiting to see what will happen, having done that.”

Asked if they were worried about the delay in the appointment of Justice Bulkachuwa’s replacement, Uzoukwu said, “Of course, we are bound to be.”

Justice Bulkachuwa was heading the panel until May 22 when she withdrew her membership following an allegation of the likelihood of bias levelled against her by Atiku and his party based on her family ties to some top members of the All Progressives Congress.

The petitioners had filed their petition before the tribunal to challenge the victory of the APC and its presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari, in the February 23 poll.