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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to recuse herself from the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
It made the request in a petition dated May 8 and jointly signed by its National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, and its National Secretary, Senator Umaru Tsauri.
An acknowledged copy of the petition sent to Channels Television revealed that it was received at the office of the Court of Appeal President in Abuja on Thursday.
The main opposition party explained that its decision to ask Justice Bulkachuwa to withdraw from the panel was because of alleged connection with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
It said it was worried about the manner in which the proceedings of the Tribunal would be handled under the leadership of the Appeal Court President.
The PDP noted that the judge’s husband, Adamu Bulkachuwa, contested the Bauchi North Senatorial District election in February and won on the platform of the APC.
It added that when its ex parte application seeking the leave and the order of the court to inspect the materials used for the February 23 elections came up on March 7, it was heard by a panel led by Justice Abdu Aboki.
The party said while there was no reason to complain about the composition of the panel, it was surprised to note that Justice Bulkachuwa sat and presided over the five-man panel of the court which conducted the opening of the pre-hearing session in it petition on Wednesday.
It further expressed concern about some comments allegedly made by the judge during the inaugural sitting.
The PDP, therefore, raised an alarm of alleged possible bias and asked Justice Bulkachuwa to withdraw from the panel of the court sitting over its petition.
The opposition party’s application at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal one is among others filed to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the February 23 polls.
Read the PDP’s petition against the Appeal Court President below:
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