The Supreme Court has constituted the panel that will sit on all appeals filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and disputed winners of the 2023 Presidential Election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President, Kassim Shettima.
Recall, that the Justice Tsammani-led Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal on September 06, dismissed the petitions of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peter Gregory Obi & Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar & the PDP challenging the return of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is to be noted that Atiku Abubakar also filed in ‘fresh’ evidence surrounding the eligibility of Bola Tinubu and the Chicago State University depositions.
Hearing on all appeals begin today.
HON. JUSTICE JOHN INYANG OKORO JSC (Chairman of the Panel)
Justice Okoro was born on 11th July 1959 and hails from Nung Ukim, Ikono LGA of Akwa Ibom State.
He attended Methodist School Nung Ukim and Boys High School Oron for his Primary and Secondary Education between 1965 and 1977. He obtained a Diploma from the School of Arts and Science, Uyo in 1981.
He obtained his LL.B degree from the University of Lagos in 1984, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar on 21st August, 1985.
His legal career began as a Magistrate Grade 11 in 1986 and rose through various positions to the post of Chief Magistrate Grade 1 in 1996. He was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State in 1998.
He served as Member of different Election Petitions Tribunal in Kano (1998), Governorship & National Assembly in Ondo (2003) and subsequently Delta in 2003.
He was elevated to the Appeal Court bench on 8th June, 2006 and subsequently to the Supreme Court on 15th November, 2013.
He was one of the two Justices of the Supreme Court arrested by the State Security Services (SSS) on October 8, 2016 on allegations of bribery and corruption, though not charged, the SSS later cleared him and he resumed his duties at the apex court subsequently on June 3, 2017.
He was one of four Judges who affirmed the re-election of Rotimi Akeredolu as Governor of Ondo State after the PDP had faulted his nomination.
He was also a member of the Supreme Court bench that affirmed the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
He was a member of the Supreme Court bench that disqualified the Bayelsa Governor-Elect, David Lyon following his Deputy’s failed nomination.
He was one of the dissenters in the Lagos State Hijab suit.
HON. JUSTICE UWANI MUSA ABBA-AJI JSC
Justice Abba-Aji was born on 7th November 1956 and hails from Gashua LGA in Yobe State.
She attended Central Primary School Gashua and Government Girls Secondary School Maiduguri for her Primary and Secondary Education between 1961 and 1972. She obtained a Diploma in Law from the ABU Zaria in 1976.
She obtained her LL.B degree from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1980, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar on 26th June, 1981.
She began her career as State Counsel in 1982 in the Borno State Judiciary and rose through various positions before her appointment as Chief Registrar in November 1991. She was appointed Judge in the newly- created Yobe State on 18th December 1991 making her the first Lady Judge at Yobe State Judiciary.
She was thereafter elevated to the Court of Appeal on 22nd September 2004.
Justice Abba-Aji was a member of the 2007 Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal that threw out the petitions of Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari, affirming thereof the victory of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
She was Presiding Justice at the Kaduna Appeal Court Division from 2015 until her elevation to the Supreme Court on 8th November, 2019.
She was a member of the Supreme Court Panel that upheld the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
She was also on the Supreme Court Panel that nullified the victory of Emeka Ihedioha, affirming Hope Uzodinma as Imo State Governor.
She was also a member of the Supreme Court Panel that affirmed in a majority decision the approval to wear hijab in public primary schools in Lagos State.
Justice Abba-Aji was the sole dissenter in a suit brought by the 36 State Govs against the FG to knock down Executive Order 10 (financial autonomy for State legislatures & Judiciary).
She is happily married with three (3) children, one of whom is a Judge of the High Court of the FCT.
HON. JUSTICE MOHAMMED LAWAL GARBA JSC
Justice Garba was born on 16th November 1958 and hails from Gusau LGA in Zamfara State.
He attended the Demonstration Primary School Maru and Government Secondary School Gusau for his Primary and Secondary Education between 1965 and 1976. He obtained a Diploma in Law from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1977.
He obtained his LL.B degree from the ABU Zaria, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1981. He also attended the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (UNILAG) Akoka, Lagos in 1989.
His career began at the Nigerian Airforce Headquarters in Lagos as a Pupil Counsel (NYSC). He joined the Sokoto State Judiciary in 1982 as a Magistrate and grew through the ranks until his appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Sokoto State in 1993.
He remained a Judge until the creation of Zamfara State in 1996, where he transferred his services and was appointed Chief Judge of the High Court of Zamfara State, a position he held until his elevation to the Court of Appeal on 22nd September, 2004.
Justice Garba was a member of the 2011 Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal that affirmed Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as President.
He was also named Chairman of the 2019 Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal that affirmed Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the General Election against closest rival Atiku Abubakar.
He was at different times Presiding Justice at the Abuja, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Lagos Divisions of the Court.
He was elevated to the Supreme Court on November 06, 2020.
HON. JUSTICE IBRAHIM MOHAMMED MUSA SAULAWA JSC
Justice Saulawa was born on 29th September, 1956 and hails from Katsina LGA in Katsina State.
He attended both Primary and Secondary Schools in Katsina from 1965 to 1976.
He obtained his LL.B degree from the Bayero University in Kano, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar on the 02nd of July, 1982.
He began his career with the Ministry of Justice, Kaduna State in August 1982 as a Pupil State Counsel (NYSC) and was at one time a Visiting Lecturer at the College of Legal and Extra-Mural Studies, Katsina Polytechnic. He joined the Kaduna State Judiciary in 1983 as a Magistrate Grade 2 in the Kaduna State Judiciary and was elevated Chief Magistrate on the creation of Katsina State in 1987.
He rose through various positions until his appointment as a Judge of the High Court of Katsina State in 1994. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal on 8th of June, 2006.
Saulawa read the leading judgement in PolyCarp Danladi v. Nasir El-Rufai at the Appellate level in 2015, affirming the victory of the latter.
He was at different times the Presiding Justice at the Ilorin, Calabar and Port Harcourt Appellate Divisions
He was elevated to the Apex Court bench on 10th November, 2020.
HON. JUSTICE ADAMU JAURO JSC
Justice Adamu Jauro was born on 26th June 1959 and hails from Gombe State.
He attended Central Primary School, Gombe, Government Secondary School, Bauchi and the School of Basic Science, Zaria. Then in 1980, he studied Law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged his LLB.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar on 10th July 1981.
He joined the Ministry of Justice in Bauchi State in 1983, and later moved to Ahmadu Bello University on secondment as Assistant Lecturer and later rejoined the Ministry of Justice, Bauchi State. He was in active service in the prosecution department and rose to the rank of Director of Public Prosecution from 1991 to 1996 before he left for the newly created Gombe State.
He was elevated to the Court of Appeal on 02nd November 2008 and have served in the Jos, Lagos, Yola, Ibadan and Port Harcourt Appellate Divisions.
In November 2020, he was elevated to the Supreme Court bench.
Justice Jauro holds a master’s degree in Law from the University of Jos. He also has a certificate from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
He was one of five Judges who dissented the affirmation of Ahmad Lawan as APC Senatorial Candidate for Yobe North.
HON. JUSTICE TIJJANI ABUBAKAR JSC
Justice Abubakar was born on 15th April, 1960 and hails from Base LGA in Yobe State.
He attended Gashua Central Primary School for his primary school education, Government Secondary School, Gashua for his secondary education and later, a diploma from the School of Basic Science, University of Maiduguri.
He obtained his LL.B degree from the University of Maiduguri where he studied Law and graduated in 1982. After graduating from the Nigerian Law School, Abubakar was called to the Bar in 1983.
Justice Abubakar worked as Attorney General, Permanent Secretary and Commissioner for Justice of Yobe State at various times. After that, he went into private practice and set up his own law firm know as Tijani Abubakar and Co. In 2004, Abubakar returned to public practice with his appointment as a judge of the Federal High Court.
On 5th November 2012, he was appointed as Justice of the Court of Appeal. He was serving at the Lagos Division when he was appointed as one of the Justices of the Supreme Court in November 2020.
HON. JUSTICE EMMANUEL AKOMAYE AGIM JSC
Justice Agim was born on 26th April, 1960 and hails from Obudu LGA in Cross-River State.
He obtained his LL.B degree from the University of Calabar, proceeded to the Nigerian Law School in Lagos and was eventually called to the Nigerian Bar on the 15th of October, 1986.
He also holds Masters Degree in Law from the University of Wolverhampton, UK.
He was the Chief Judge of the Gambia and Judge of the Supreme Court of the Gambia. He is a member of the ECOWAS Council of Chief of Justices. He also served on the Court of Appeal of the Republic of the Gambia and as Acting Chief Justice. From 2010 to 2014, Justice Agim was Justice of the Supreme Court Swaziland.
Upon his return to Nigeria at the end of his sojourn abroad, Justice Agim was sworn in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal on November 5, 2012. On May 30, 2019, Justice Agim read the leading judgement of the Court of Appeal panel that set aside the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) given by Justice Othman Musa, which voided Ademola Adeleke’s candidacy for Osun election. In a unanimous judgment by a three-man panel, the Court of Appeal held that the FCT High Court was wrong to have concluded that Adeleke did not complete secondary education and that he presented a false academic certificate.
He also read the lead judgment on May 6 that resolved the ownership dispute of 17 oil wells in favour of Rivers State.
He was one of two Judges that dissented both in the candidacy of Ahmad Lawan as Yobe North APC Candidate and also in the Lagos State hijab suit.
He read the leading judgement in the suit that affirmed Rotimi Akeredolu as Ondo State Governor following the petition from the PDP.
He also read the leading judgement affirming Ademola Adeleke as eligible and duly elected in a suit brought by Oyetola.
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