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HURIWA Raises Concerns Over Judicial Integrity, Faults Contradictory Judgement
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Sunday expressed strong concerns over recent judgements bordering on elections in Plateau State.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, HURIWA’s national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said recent events in Plateau have cast a shadow of doubt and suspicion over the integrity of the state’s judiciary.
The organization raised questions about the impartiality of the judiciary and its role in ensuring fair and just elections in Nigeria.
The rights group expressed its deep concern over seeming coordinated effort to issue contradictory judgements, particularly favouring the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the expense of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“These concerns go beyond post-election matters and extend to pre-election cases, which, according to established legal precedent, should not be revisited at the appellate level,” the group said.
One of the primary issues raised by HURIWA was the issuance of contradictory judgements by the Appeal Courts in Plateau State.
“In some instances where the APC came in second, PDP candidates were removed, and the certificate of return was given to the APC, while in other cases where the APC came in third or lower, the courts ordered a rerun. HURIWA considers this inconsistency alarming and believes it raises suspicions of bias.
“Specifically, in the case of Plateau North Senatorial District won by Sen. Simon Mwadkwon of the PDP and the APC candidate coming in third, the Panel, in its judgment in Court of Appeal No. CA/J/EP/PL/SEN/12/2023 delivered on Sunday, October, 2023, curiously annulled the PDP’s victory and ordered INEC to conduct a rerun election among all the parties.
“In the case of Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency won by Hon. Musa Agar of the PDP and where the APC candidate also came in third, the Panel, in its judgment in Court of Appeal No. CA/J/EP/PL/HR/14/2023 delivered on Friday, October, 2023, annulled the victory of the PDP and ordered a rerun excluding the PDP.
“In the third Appeal Case of Shendam/Quaan-Pan/Mikang Federal Constituency, won by Hon. Isaac Kwallu of the PDP with John Dafwan of the APC as runner-up, the Appeal Court Justices in Court of Appeal No.
CA/J/EP/PL/HR/18/2023 annulled the victory of the PDP candidate, declared the APC candidate as the outright winner, and ordered that the Certificate of Return issued to the victorious PDP candidate be withdrawn and a fresh Certificate of Return issued to the APC candidate, ” HURIWA said.
Stating that Pre-election matters have also been subjected to judicial review, leading to the overturning of victories recorded by the PDP in the 2023 elections, HURIWA emphasized that the Court of Appeal did not deliver judgments based on the law and the facts, as the law dictates, stressing that the inconsistency with established legal norms and principles raises concerns about the independence of the judiciary.
“Furthermore, allegations against the President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, have added to the scrutiny. While there is no concrete evidence of her involvement in any impropriety, speculations regarding her ethnic background and perceived connections to the Plateau State APC leader are concerning.
“In response to these developments, HURIWA called for an immediate halt to the perceived systematic use of the judiciary to favour the APC in Plateau State.
” The organization outlined several key actions to address these concerns, including the need for transparency and accountability within the judiciary, emphasizing judicial independence, and the review and reconsideration of recent judgments that appear inconsistent with established legal norms.
“HURIWA underscored the importance of restoring public confidence by adhering to the principles of fairness, justice, and impartiality within the judiciary,” it said.
The group also stressed the significance of educating the public about the role and functioning of the judiciary to foster a better understanding of its importance in Nigeria’s democracy.
While reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law, democracy, and justice, HURIWA pledged to monitor developments in Plateau State and across the nation to ensure that the rights of the people are upheld.
“HURIWA called on all stakeholders, including the judiciary, political parties, and the public, to work together to protect and uphold the values that define Nigeria as a nation,” it added.
By Abubakar Yunusa
Dr Yusuf John Suberu, founder of the Dr Yusuf John Suberu Foundation, has congratulated Nigeria on being honoured with the prestigious Kofi Annan Road Safety Award at a ceremony in Eswatini.
The award recognises the country’s significant progress in reducing road crashes and improving safety..
The accolade, celebrated by stakeholders across the continent, highlights Nigeria’s dedication to improving road safety standards.
Dr. Yusuf John Suberu, founder of the Dr. Yusuf John Suberu Foundation, attended the event and engaged with prominent figures, including the Ministers of Transportation from Cameroon and Eswatini, as well as Mr. John Todd, the United Nations Envoy on Road Safety.
The foundation, which focuses on poverty alleviation, education, and health, praised the Federal Government’s achievement as a milestone in fostering safer communities.
“This award reflects Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to road safety, a cause that resonates deeply with our mission to empower and uplift communities,” Dr. Suberu said in a statement.
“We commend the government and reaffirm our support for initiatives promoting sustainable development and safety.”
The Dr. Yusuf John Suberu Foundation has impacted over 5,000 individuals in the past year through its programmes and aims to train 500 youths in the Federal Capital Territory with skills for financial independence and self-employment.
The organisation views the award as a testament to the power of collective action in driving meaningful change.
The foundation expressed its eagerness to deepen collaboration with government bodies, international organisations, and local stakeholders to advance road safety and community development across Nigeria.
The Nigerian Army has appointed Lieutenant Colonel Anele Onyinyechi Appolonia as the Acting Director, Army Public Relations — the first woman to hold the position.
Anele, a member of Direct Regular Course 15 and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), takes over from Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, who has been posted to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre. Her appointment takes effect from April 22, 2025.
Before this elevation, Lt. Col. Anele completed a six-month strategic course at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre and was subsequently posted to the Department of Civil-Military Relations.
She has previously served as Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff. Until her new role, she was with the Department of Civil-Military Relations.
Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele
Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele
The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has said the Tax Reform Bill would curb poverty and empower ordinary Nigerians.
Oyedele made this known at the Spokespersons’ Summit, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja.
He expressed strong optimism about the sweeping changes the bill would bring, especially for the low-income earners and small businesses across the country.
The chairman said that key highlights of the reform included the exemption of low-income earners from paying the Personal Income Tax (PAYE) and the removal of VAT from basic essentials such as food, education, and healthcare.
Oyedele added that it included a zero per cent Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate for small businesses, adding that the bill had great benefits, especially for the masses, although it was welcomed with misconceptions and attacks.
He said, “This is because the issues of tax and taxation are not the most attractive to the ordinary persons because it is hard to part with your money.
“It is even harder when you part with your money and you cannot tell what exactly government is using it for that benefits you.”
Oyedele said the approach for the reform was to try and understand what the issues were and where the problems were coming from.
He added, “Then we will use data to engage with the people and design a solution for Nigeria that is made by Nigerians for the Nigerian people.
“That is exactly what we have done with the tax reform bill which is now nearing passage for the President to sign.”
According to Oyedele, the government is positive that as soon as implementation begins, Nigerians will see the real positive impact on their day-to-day living including low income earners being exempted from taxes.
“This is because, we want Nigerians to be able to create wealth and become successful, when they make it big time, then they will pay taxes, not the other way round.
“So, we believe that this message is resonating with the Nigerian people, it is still a long way to go but we are happy to continue with the journey,” he said.
Oyedele commended NIPR for putting the summit together and for discussing issues of government policies for the clearer understanding of Nigerians.
The President and Chairman of Council, NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, said the communication ecosystem should always be considered when formulating any government policy.
Neliaku said this was because the communicators have the gift of communicating even the most difficult policies to the people.
He added that they would look at such policies and guide strategic communication, adding, “which is the when,what,how where which it answers all those questions.
“So, when you say this is what we want to do,how best should we do it?it is the work of the experts and not quacks, those trained to come up with the strategies to communicate that.
“The tax reform is what this nation needs at this point but it was essentially misunderstood because of the way it was introduced and the mischief makers took advantage of that to do what they want.”
Neliaku said that was why NIPR and its partners in the communication ecosystem had promised to work with the government to develop a tax communication framework.
He said that it was also being done in the areas of climate action, Science communication and across many sectors to communicate reforms so that the child is not killed even before it is birthed.
He encouraged spokespersons to acquire knowledge, understand trends and issues in order to be effective and to speak well and informed.
Dr Nkechi Ali-Balogu, a Fellow of NIPR, said that there was need to view taxation with the gender lens, adding that there was need to make exemptions for women.
Ali-Balogun said that most women were bread winners these days as well as single mothers should enjoy tax exemption to empower them to provide for their families.
She commended NIPR for organising the summit, adding that it had broadened her horizon on national issues.(NAN)