Although not officially inaugurated yet by the Chief Justice of the Federation, the following justices of the Appeal Court are almost certain of handling HE Peter Obi and Labour Party’s petitions against Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, HE Kashim Shettima, the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
1. Justice Haruna Simon Tsamani – Bauchi State.
2. Justice Stephen Jonah Adah – Kogi State.
3. Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, Kano State.
4. Justice Joseph Ikyegh – Benue State.
5. Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem – Plateau State.
These five appreciably experienced justices, all from the Northern part of the the country, will start the Judiciary takeover from INEC in continuing with our democratic process. Whatever they make of the exercise is history waiting.
*Justice Monica Bolna’an Dongban-Mensen:*
She is 66 and the President of the Court of Appeal. Finished at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos State in 1980, she was appointed judge of the FCT High Court in 1993 and ten years later, on June 25, 2003, got promoted to the Court of Appeal. She is an authority in Criminal and Civil Procedure Law, Legislative Drafting, Constitutional and Administrative Law among others. She is expected to lead the Tribunal as its chairman.
*Justice Joseph Ikyegh:*
He is 65 and graduated from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1980. Became a judge of the High Court, Benue State on March 27, 1991 before being appointed as justice of the Appeal Court on July 16, 2010. Notably, he was part of the five-man panel that presided over the election petition between HE Atiku Abubakar and President Muhammadu Buhari, which interestingly dismissed Atiku’s petition. He led the three-man panel that recently ordered INEC to allow Atiku and Obi to inspect the electoral materials used during the presidential election.
*Justice Abba Bello Mohammed:*
He is 62 and finished from the Nigerian Law School in 1985. He was appointed as a judge of the High Court of the FCT in 2010 and ten years later, was promoted to the Court of Appeal on June 28, 2021. He was part of the three-man panel that granted Obi and Atiku motions to serve Tinubu their petitions by substituted means.
*Justice Stephen Jonah Adah:*
He is 66 and passed out from the Nigerian Law School in 1982. Became a Federal High Court judge on November 12, 1998 and after 14 years, got promoted to the Court of Appeal on November 5, 2012. He was a member of the three-man panel that granted Obi and Atiku’s motions to serve Tinubu their petitions by substituted means.
*Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani:*
He is 64 and graduated from Nigerian Law School in 1980. Became a High Court judge in Bauch State on September 17, 1998 and after 12 years, was appointed as justice of the Court of Appeal on July 16, 2010. He was also a member of the three-man panel that granted the motions to Obi and Atiku to serve their petitions to Tinubu via substituted means.
These are the brief profiles of the five justices expected to preside over all the process of Obi vs Tinubu till judgement on an unknown date yet. As Nigerians eagerly await the take-off of hearings, the over 200 million populace will have no other choice but to trust them to deliver fair and equitable justice. In view of the mood of the nation and the weight of the petition before them, nobody would really envy them based on this huge responsibility. They will undoubtedly be under enormous pressure but the only way to come out of it with peace of mind is conscientious delivery of justice.
Once again, History beckons as our democracy arguably steps into its toughest journey to survival. May it survive.
