Eight Zamfara state governorship aspirants under the All Progressives Congress (APC), have petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) over breach of due process, alleging that the judges were bribed with $3m to influence the recent judicial pronouncement.
Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, Aminu Sani Jaji, said that they got information that the justices were allegedly compromised with $3m by the Zamfara state Governor, Abdulazziz Yari.
The aspirants who also petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), insisted that the case be relocated from court of Appeal in Sokoto, to Abuja or any other neutral ground.
Jaji said the court refused them the right to withdraw from their case when they sensed they will not be treated fairly in line with order 11 rule 1.
The petition stated: “on the 8th of February, 2019, the Court of Appeal Sokoto Division presided over by Honourable Justice Ahmed Olanrewaju Belgore JCA; with Hon. Justice Amina Audi Wambai JCA and Justice Fredrick O. Oho JCA sat and directed all parties to file their written arguments and adjourned the matter to 19th February, 2019.
“Strangely however, on Saturday, a non-working day, I was called and informed by my lawyers that they were called by the Registry of the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, served with a motion on notice purportedly filed on February 8th, 2019 and are required to attend court on Monday February n11th, 2019. The motion is to enforce the judgement of the High Court, when the appeal was not only still pending but already adjourned to February 19th, 2019.
“This is despite the fact that even with the requirement that the matter should be heard and disposed within 60 days, as at 11th February, 2019, we had only exhausted 10 days from the date of filing of the Appeal.
“It is on the strength of the aforementioned that I pray that the conduct of the said Honourable Justice Ahmed Olanrewaju Belgore JCA; with Hon. Justice Amina Audi Wambai JCA and Justice Fredrick O. Oho JCA be looked into.”
