Veteran journalist and current affairs pundit, Jimi Disu, has attacked the judiciary for omitting to include a judge from the Southeastern area of Nigeria following the announcement of the five-person panel of Appeal Court Judges chosen to monitor the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
As one of the candidates involved in the court proceedings is from the southeast, Disu contended that adding an Igbo judge to the panel would have provided the essential balance. Even though the incoming president is from the Southwest, the panel still had a judge from that area. A judge from the same region as the PDP candidate was also involved in the trial, Disu added.
The country’s ethnic balance needs to be addressed, said Disu in an interview with Nigeria Info FM. “These are the subtle nuances that should have been taken care of, and I hope that it will be fixed. A very bad signal might be sent if it is not. When it comes to matters like this, you cannot ignore the issue of ethnicity.
Although we should ensure that decisions are made based on merit, one person’s merit may not be another person’s detriment. I believe an Igbo judge should have been on that panel in order to protect everyone’s interests. I hope it gets finished. Why not the Southeast if we can have a judge from Kogi, in close proximity to the PDP candidate’s region?
In such important judicial processes, this creates a legitimate concern about representation and balance. It is crucial to make sure that these panels accurately reflect the variety of the nation and all parties involved. This is important, and the government should make sure that all regions and groups are fairly represented. This is vital to remove all bias and prejudice from the proceedings and provide a fair trial for all parties.
