BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Chairman of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa on Wednesday recused herself from participating in hearing the petitions challenging the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 2019 presidential poll.
Justice Bulkachuwa made the announcement after the Tribunal had ruled on an application filed by Counsel to the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, challenging her membership of the election panel.
Bulkachuwa, who is also the President of the Court of Appeal, said she allowed the ruling on the application urging her to step down from the membership of the Tribunal in order to test the position of the law.
In her words; “I have allowed the ruling on the application urging me to recuse my membership of the tribunal to test the position of the law. Now that the application has been dismissed on account of incompetence, I hereby announce my withdrawal from the panel.”
Justice Bulkachuwa further said; “The remaining four members of the panel would remain while steps would be taken to appoint my replacement.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar being the Presidential Candidate of the Party in the February 23, 2019 General Elections, petitioned the Tribunal to challenge the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
As the Tribunal was about to commence pre-trial of the petition, Counsel to Atiku raised objection on Justice Bulkachuwa’s membership, particularly her chairmanship of the panel of Justices on the ground that her husband is a Senator-elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is a party in the petition before the Tribunal.
Accordingly, the Atiku’s team prayed the Tribunal to order that Justice Bulkachuwa, whose husband is a Senator-elect and a member of the National Committee of the APC, should recuse herself.
