By: Barr Umar Sa'ad Hassan

Justice Kekere Ekun’s husband was an APC chieftain in Lagos when in 2016,she affirmed the PDP and Governor Nyesom Wike’s victory in the Rivers gubernatorial election’.

‘Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa’s husband was in the ANPP when she adjudged Senator David Mark of the PDP to have defeated Usman Abubakar (Young Alhaji) of the ANPP in a tussle for one of the senatorial seats in Benue’.

From a layman we would understand but these are all coming from lawyers.Quite a number of them prominent and well-respected.Since when did it become justifiable in law to remedy an anomaly by citing past cases where it wasn’t challenged?.Only adjudicated cases on a particular subject matter can be used to support or disprove an argument.

Anyone seeking to prove that Zainab Bulkachuwa can preside over a matter involving the APC,a party which her husband is a member of and was recently elected senator through,can only refer to decided cases supporting their argument and not ones where the issue was not raised.

I read Professor Itse Sagay’s Nigerian Law Of Contract in the University and i have held him in high regard since but time and time again as a member of President Buhari’s government,he has gravely disappointed me.

It was with sheer disgust i read Sagay as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption,saying that no relationship can be found in the Judges Code of Conduct or in law to support the PDP’s call for Bulkachawa to step down as head of the presidential election tribunal.

We can’t safely put anything pass Sagay and the people he works for so maybe he may have a copy of the Judge’s Code of Conduct we don’t know about but the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers as we know it to be has been in operation since the 24th day of February 2016 and it clearly provides in Rule 12.1 that:

“A Judicial Officer should disqualify himself in a proceeding in which his impartiality may GENUINELY and REASONABLY be questioned…”

The APC, a political party to which her husband belongs is a party in the proceedings before Zainab Bulkachuwa and i wonder how anyone would argue that her impartiality cannot be ‘genuinely and reasonably’ questioned.

It is a shame that respected legal luminaries are saying nothing in our laws covers the Bulkachuwa situation.

The sensitivity of this matter demands that utmost caution be exercised because the implications are quite weighty. We are dealing with the possibility of a presidential candidate being denied justice in a system many already deem rigged in favour of his adversary. Justice must be seen to be done. That an infraction has been perpetually ignored doesn’t in any way make it right and that ignorance can’t form a defence to any attempt to correct it. If anything, the PDP should be lauded for sparking the fires of change.

Now is the time to put our house in order.It is not right for a judge to sit over a matter in which her spouse has an interest. The introductory note on application of the code of conduct for Judicial officers clearly states that a violation of any of the rules contained in the code shall constitute judicial misconduct or misbehaviour and SHALL be liable to disciplinary action.
Zainab Bulkachuwa is in contravention of Rule 12.1 of Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and should be made to face disciplinary proceedings.The National Judicial Council must wake up to its responsibilities and act in the best interest of the judiciary and the entire country at large.

Her husband being not only a card-carrying member of the APC but also a senator elected on its platform forms a ‘genuine and reasonable’ basis to question her impartiality in a matter where the APC is a party.

Shame on all the Senior advocates busy citing instances where it has happened in the past and telling us our laws are silent on this.

Umar Sa’ad Hassan is a lawyer based in Kano

https://thenigerialawyer.com/sagay-othersthis-is-what-our-laws-say-on-zainab-bulkachuwa-by-umar-saad-hassan/

confused people

She was planted to head the tribunal so that judgement can be given in favour of Buhari. That was why they made sure Walter Onoghen was removed in the first place.

Nonsense post from nonsense people

Even if its legal, its morally wrong. A judge must be neutral

OAUTemitayo:
Nonsense post from nonsense people

Is this all you have to say?
Even when truth is staring at you outrightly in the face, you still fail to understand what it means.

What truth is starring your father in the face, the article stated two incidents where PDP spouses adjudicated over a case with PDP members winning without others politicians wailing like your father is now wailing.

Do you mean only PDP member spouses can be judge over their own n other party cases n others party spouses can not be judge over PDP cases or have all you PDP member completely gone mad ?!

respect80:

Is this all you have to say?
Even when truth is staring at you outrightly in the face, you still fail to understand what it means.

Front0lane:
What truth is starting your father in the face, the article stated two incidents where PDP spouses adjudicated over a case with PDP members winning without others politicians wailing like your father is now wailing.

Do you mean only PDP member spouses can be judge over their own n other party cases n others party spouses can not be judge over PDP cases or have all you PDP member completely gone mad ?!

1- Your response clearly shows how inconsequential and how insignificant your father is to you hence the reason you're quick to spew trash about other people's father.
2- the so called call for justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to recuse herself from the case between Buhari and Atiku is only logical due to the rule 12:1 of the code of conduct for judicial officers which was put in place since 24th February 2016 just in case your demented brain and hypocritical eyes didn't allow you to read that part of the write up.
3- from all indications as can be seen, you obviously are the mad person here, and not me or the PDP folks like you thought...

With your level of understanding, arguing with you is tantamount to throwing morals to the dogs...

Grow up man, and stop going about insulting people's father on the internet simply because your own father is as irrelevant as your phocking opinion...

I am yet to se the abuse of on your father ?!
Every other rubbish you wrote does not deserve a response but just as PDP politicians spouses sat as judge on their case on that of others that is exactly how others will be judge on PDP case.

Your wail or that of your father won’t stop it whether 1200 DG or not, the only option available to you in case you ain’t okay with that is to rot in hell.

respect80:

1- Your response clearly shows how inconsequential and how insignificant your father is to you hence the reason you're quick to spew trash about other people's father.
2- the so called call for justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to recuse herself from the case between Buhari and Atiku is only logical due to the rule 12:1 of the code of conduct for judicial officers which was put in place since 24th February 2016 just in case your demented brain and hypocritical eyes didn't allow you to read that part of the write up.
3- from all indications as can be seen, you obviously are the mad person here, and not me or the PDP folks like you thought...

With your level of understanding, arguing with you is tantamount to throwing morals to the dogs...

Grow up man, and stop going about insulting people's father on the internet simply because your own father is as irrelevant as your phocking opinion...

Front0lane:
I am yet to se the abuse of on your father ?!
Every other rubbish you wrote does not deserve a response but just as PDP politicians spouses sat as judge on their case on that of others that is exactly how others will be judge on PDP case.

Your wail or that of your father won’t stop it whether 1200 DG or not, the only option available to you in case you ain’t okay with that is to rot in hell.

Oga, shut up and cry!
Pray for your father to become relevant so that you can have respect for other people's fathers not to mention the word Father or mother when it is not necessary.
BTW, can someone please interpret what this fellow is trying to say?
Ayam not getting you at all

Those with irrelevant fathers make the loudest noise. Have your nobody father of no significance read this n explain it to you. I am positive he shouldn’t be a complete failure like you.

respect80:


Oga, shut up and cry!
Pray for your father to become relevant so that you can have respect for other people's fathers not to mention the word Father or mother when it is not necessary.
BTW, can someone please interpret what this fellow is trying to say?
Ayam not getting you at all

Front0lane:
Those with irrelevant fathers make the loudest noise. Have your nobody father of no significance read this n explain it to you. I am positive he shouldn’t be a complete failure like you.

I can see how pained you are by now.
Enjoy the regret of using the word father unnecessarily

I've been trying to figure out how come you are as stupid as this but can't really decipher why.
Your antecedents clearly portrays what a low life you are. I'm done mentioning you so go look for someone in your class to engage in e-quarell with.

After all the long drawn you can’t even tell who your father is but was thumping your chest like the gorilla you truly are. Like I stated PDP have no right to reject what they dished to other political parties. It does not matter whether you or your father want to wail to hell it changes nothing.

respect80:

I can see how pained you are by now.
Enjoy the regret of using the word father unnecessarily

I've been trying to figure out how come you are as stupid as this but can't really decipher why.
Your antecedents clearly portrays what a low life you are. I'm done mentioning you so go look for someone in your class to engage in e-quarell with.

please who is justice Zainab Bulkachuwa ? so this election thing is now trying to make this woman popular or a super star....