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A senior lawyer, Dr. Joseph Nwobike, has applauded the diligence, undaunted thoroughness and professionalism of the five-member bench, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani in interpreting the law.
“The learned justices on the Tribunal’s Bench examined and resolved all the issues of law and fact in favour of the Respondents after considering the evidence led and the applicable laws.
“For instance, theTribunal decided that the 2nd Respondent was qualified to contest the presidential election and that the Order for forfeiture made by the Court in Illinois, United States of America was not a conviction within the contemplation of the provisions of section 137 of the Constitution of Nigeria.
“The Tribunal held that the Petitioners failed to prove that the President was convicted in the United States of America as alleged in their respective petitions. The Tribunal equally decided that INEC has the discretion on how to transmit election results.
“In my view, the judgement accords with the established principles of law that govern and underpin election litigations in Nigeria. I believe that the parties will proceed to the Supreme Court to test the decisions of the Tribunal. I will encourage all the parties and their supporters to abide by the decisions of the courts in this and all regards.
“I must confess that the judgments delivered by the Tribunal are unassailable. The basis for the resolution of all the issues of law and facts formulated by the parties are consistent with the body of judicial precedents on all the points.
“The decisions are, therefore, correct. However, the petitioners can still pursue their respective remedies to the Supreme Court as is customary in electoral disputes of this magnitude.
“I will want to appreciate the learned justices for the rare industry applied in writing and delivering the judgments. This is rare in the annals of modern judicial history in the common law jurisdictions. The decisions will for a long time to come, serve as a veritable guide for lawyers, administrators and politicians involved in electoral processes in Nigeria and, perhaps, beyond.”
