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Presidential Election tribunal: Garba Replaces Bulkachuwa, Resumes Hearing Today on 16 Petitions
Justice Mohammed Garba, who replaced the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, on the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, took charge of the pre-hearing proceedings of the tribunal for the first time on Monday.
He called for the “fullest cooperation” of petitioners and their lawyers for the expeditious hearing of the pending petitions.
All the four petitions filed before the tribunal to challenge the February 23, 2019 presidential election came up on Monday, but one of them which was filed by the Coalition for Change and its candidate, Geff Ojinika, was withdrawn in the course of the proceedings, leaving three behind to be heard and determined by the five-man panel.
Justice Bulkachuwa had withdrawn from the panel on May 22, 2019 following an allegation of likelihood of bias levelled against her by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate in the February 23, 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar.
The petitioners’ allegation was based on the fact that Bulkachuwa’s husband, Adamu Bulkachuwa, is a senator-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, the party whose victory at the February 23 presidential election they are challenging at the tribunal, and her son, Aliyu Abubakar, was a governorship aspirant on the platform of the same party in Gombe State.
Garba emerged on Monday as the replacement for Bulkachuwa, who withdrew her membership of the panel about 19 days ago.
Monday’s proceedings only came about 10 days after the legal team of the petitioners wrote Bulkachuwa a letter reminding her of her promise to name her replacement promptly.
Garba, who is the presiding justice of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, now leads Justices Abdul Aboki (Abuja Division), Joseph Ikyegh (Benin Division), Samuel Oseji (Lagos Division) and Peter Ige (Abuja Division) on the panel of the tribunal.
He said, “I will like to renew the call for the fullest cooperation of parties and their respective counsel that will be appearing in the petitions before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
“We are aware of the constraint of time that has been imposed on the court by both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act for the hearing and determination of the petitions.
“We are also aware that we have almost gone halfway of the time we have for the hearing and determination of the petitions.”
Justice Garba said the cooperation of the lawyers and their clients were needed for the panel to make the best use of the time left.
Responding, the legal team of the PDP and Atiku led by Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) assured the panel that his team would “give necessary cooperation to ensure that the petition is expeditiously heard.”
Lawyers representing the respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission, Buhari and the APC – also gave similar assurance.
INEC’s legal team was led by Mr Yunus Usman (SAN), Buhari’s by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), while Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) represented the APC.
On Monday, the Coalition for Change and its presidential candidate, Geff Ojinika, withdrew their joint petition challenging the outcome of the February 23, 2019 presidential election.
Announcing the decision, Mr Obed Agu, told the panel he was instructed by his clients to withdraw the petition.
The respondents’ lawyers did not oppose the request for the withdrawal of the petition.
The petition was subsequently dismissed by the tribunal, leaving the five-man panel with only three pending petitions filed to challenge the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC at the poll.
The remaining petitions comprised the one jointly filed by the PDP and Atiku, the Hope Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru; and the Peoples Democratic Movement with its candidate, Pastor Aminchi Habu.
The tribunal also on Monday adjourned till Tuesday (today) the hearing of a total of 16 applications filed in respect of the petition of the PDP and Atiku alone.
The Justice Garba-led panel adjourned the applications for hearing after the various parties to the petition identified what they had filed before the tribunal.
Of the 16 applications, six of them were filed by the PDP and its candidate, while the rest of the 10 were filed by the respondents.
Of the respondents’ 10 applications, seven were filed by them seeking the dismissal or striking out of the petition while the three others were either seeking the amendment of their papers and the leave to bring their applications up at the tribunal’s pre-hearing session.
The tribunal also adjourned pending applications filed in respect of the petitions by the HDP and the PDM till June 13 and June 17, respectively.
The Punch
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
