Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Nigeria Judicial Aids, an independent legal group has raised an alarm about plans by the embattled Chief Judge of Benue state, Justice Maurice Ikpambese to grant automatic Sick Leave to the two Court Registrars that are supposed to receive the appeal of the All Progressive Congress under Benjamin Omale-led Unity Caretaker Committee.
The legal group said the plot is to ensure that the appeal isn’t filed within the stipulated fourteen days in order for the Austin Agada-led APC faction to further hold the nine local governments which the Local Government elections Petition Tribunal sitting at the NBA House in Abuja had ruled in their favour on Monday.
Recall that the Benjamin Omale-led Unity Caretaker Committee has just fourteen days from Monday to file its appeal against the Tribunal’s judgement which ceded nine local governments to the Agada-led faction.
“But once the Registrars are out of the country from Friday this week till after the stipulated fourteen days under the guise of going for a Sick Leave Abroad, then the party will not have a chance to file its appeal and the case will end right there” a press statement signed by the President of the Nigeria Judicial Aids, Barrister Chuks Ugochukwu, SAN said.
“This tells you how partisan the embattled Chief Judge of Benue state is. This also shows that he has been dining and wining with politicians, an act which is against the ethics of his job as a Chief Judge. Here is a man that is using the Judiciary to subvert the will of the people of Benue state just because he has been promised governorship in 2027. Reports available to us showed that he has been penciled down by Dr. George Akume as the candidate of the Labour Party in 2027” he added.
According to the Nigeria Judicial Aids, a meeting was held at the Maitama residence of Dr. George Akume on Tuesday evening with the embattled Chief Judge, Maurice Ikpambese, two federal appointees from Benue state, Matthias Byuan and Pius Akutah, and some members of the National Assembly from the state and one Mr. Dan-Morgan Ihomun in attendance.
The legal group pressed further that it was agreed on at the meeting that Mr. Maurice Ikpambese should quickly approve an emergency Sick Leave for the two Court Registrars for them to travel Abroad and remain there until after the fourteen days which ends the filing of the appeal from Benjamin Omale-led Unity Caretaker Committee.
The group however said that a huge amount of money running into several millions of Naira was earmarked for the overseas trips of the two Registrars who are supposed to be at work between now and the next fourteen days to receive the appeal from the party.
The Nigeria Judicial Aids therefore called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to wade into the Judicial terrorism and abuse of Judicial power by Mr. Maurice Ikpambese and his financiers.
The group however threatened to stage a nationalwide but peaceful protest if Mr. Ikpambese goes ahead to approve the emergency Sick Leave for the two Court Registrars that are supposed to enter the appeal from the Benue APC.