The Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have appealed to the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to appoint her replacement on the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
They stated in a letter sent to Bulkachuwa on Friday (May 31), a copy of which was obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday, that they were already running against time due to the “strict requirement of keeping to the constitutional calendar for a petition.”
The petitioners’ lead counsel, Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN), had mentioned the letter to SUNDAY PUNCH, expressing worry about the delay in the appointment of a replacement for Justice Bulkachuwa, who withdrew as a member and head of the five-man panel on May 22, following the petitioners’ allegation of likelihood of bias leveled against her.
The petitioner’s letter signed on behalf of Uzoukwu by a lawyer in the legal team, Mr Silas Onu, read in part, “My Lord, it is 9 (nine) days since the date my Lord recused himself and nothing has been heard regarding the replacement that was to be made thereafter. Read more