The organisation in a release on Friday obtained by SaharaReporters urged the President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to consider a high level of integrity and appoint judges who are not politically affiliated to any of the parties in the country.
Citizens Gavel, a civic tech organisation, has called for a transparent appointment of election petition judges for the forthcoming Edo and Ondo State governorship elections.
The organisation in a release on Friday obtained by SaharaReporters urged the President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, to consider a high level of integrity and appoint judges who are not politically affiliated to any of the parties in the country.
Citizens Gavel said, "As we approach the upcoming governorship elections in Edo State on 21st September 2024 and OndoState on 16th November 2024, we recognise the critical responsibility of the judiciary in upholding the integrity of the electoral
process.
"In light of the historical trend of election petitions following Nigerian elections, we hereby call on the President of the Court of Appeal to take decisive action to ensure that the appointment of judges for the election petition tribunals for these governorship elections is conducted with the
utmost transparency and integrity.
"We urge the President of the Court of Appeal who has the exclusive power to appoint election petition judges under the Constitution to: 1. Establish and Publicise Structured Criteria: Develop and make public a structured set of criteria that will govern the appointment of election petition judges for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. This framework should aim to promote transparency and accountability in the judicial process.
"2. Prohibit Conflicted Appointments: Include specific provisions within the criteria that
explicitly prohibit the appointment of judges who have any connection, however
remote, with any of the candidates contesting for the governorship elections. This measure is crucial to maintaining the impartiality and fairness of the judiciary.
"3. Ensure Integrity of Appointed Judges: The criteria must stipulate that all appointed
judges are individuals of high integrity and are free from any corruption charges as
well as ties to politicians/political parties. This will foster public confidence in the
judicial system and the outcomes of the election petition tribunals.
"As the new Chief Justice of Nigeria takes the reins of leadership within the Nigerian judiciary, the forthcoming Edo and Ondo governorship elections present an opportunity to demonstrate a
commitment to uphold a transparent process and significantly redeem the image of the judiciary.
"We recommend that the Chief Justice establish a monitoring system to oversee the election petition tribunals, ensuring that the processes are transparent and accountable.
"We believe these steps will strengthen the judiciary's integrity and uphold democratic principles at this critical time. We appreciate His Lordship’s attention to this urgent matter and look forward to seeing the judiciary rise to the occasion in these critical elections."