ATIKU: Supreme Court Denies Claim On ‘Handpicked’ Justices

The Supreme Court has reacted in the negative to claim by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, was being pressurized to accept “a handpicked panel” of justices to sit on the appeal petition of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general elections.

The CUPP had alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government selected some justices for the Supreme Court to sit on Atiku’s case.

But reacting in a statement on Monday, the Supreme Court said it had yet to constitute a panel that would hear Atiku’s appeal against the presidential tribunal’s dismissal of his petition against the declaration of Buhari as winner of the February 23 presidential election.

Speaking through its spokesperson, Festus Akande, the Supreme Court described CUPP’s allegation as “blatant falsehood, misinformation and malicious rumour being generously peddled by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) through its spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere”.

It said CUPP “is not and can never constitute itself into an agency of the Nigerian Judiciary or assume the role of an alternate Supreme Court of Nigeria”.

The statement said, “The constitution of any panel to sit on a matter in the court is the sole prerogative of the Supreme Court and it is never an issue for the court to debate on the television or pages of newspapers.

“We are not a political party or social club and should never be dragged into any form of baseless pedestrian discussions that will drive valid reasoning aground.

“Enough of this orchestrated falsehood and campaign of calumny.

“We are here to serve the interest of the generality of the Nigerian masses and not select individuals or groups with inordinate ambition.

“As soon as the Presidential Appeal Panel is constituted, the public will be duly informed as the Supreme Court is not a secret society. Let us always observe caution when disseminating information to the public.”

Atiku and the PDP are challenging the judgment of the tribunal delivered by the Justice Mohammed Garba-led presidential election petition.