Justice Action and Human Rights Protection International Network (JAHRPI) has forwarded a petition to the Presidency, with a demand that the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami remains impartial in the Kogi State governorship poll, which is now being contested at the tribunal.
JAHRPI, a global non-governmental organisation with a United Nations Consultative Status on issues of justice, equality and liberty with large membership of Nigerians in the diaspora, alleged in the petition that since November 22, 2015, when Kogi’s governorship poll was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), “there have been preventable multiple electoral disputes which arose as a result of the Attorney General’s unhidden penchant for contempt of constitutional principles and interference in the independence of institutions like the INEC and judiciary that ought to be protected by his office.”
The NGO alleged that Malami waded into INEC affairs by making public remarks on the direction expected of the electoral umpire even when its lawyers and consultants were still in a fierce debate on next step to take, given that the Constitution never envisioned that a leading contestant in a governorship poll would die in the middle of the conduct of the election.
In the petition, JAHRPI urged the Federal Government “to urgently review all matters where due process has been abused with respect to Kogi election and take remedial actions as well as urge the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to investigate violation of the rights of all parties to fair hearing in the Kogi election and reverse any such illegitimate action.
Kogi guber poll: Group petitions, warns against interference
