Atiku’s Appeal: CUPP Alleges Plot to Alter Seniority in Selection of Supreme Court Justices

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has alleged that there were moves to depart from the traditional seniority arrangement in selecting Supreme Court justices to hear Atiku Abubakar’s appeal challenging President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the 2019 presidential election.

Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had approached the Supreme Court after the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal dismissed his petition against Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, CUPP spokesman Ikenga Ugochinyere alleged that the APC-led Federal Government was putting pressure on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the Supreme Court over the composition of the seven-member panel expected to hear the appeal.

The coalition claimed there was an attempt to abandon what it described as the long-standing practice of selecting the most senior justices of the Supreme Court for presidential election disputes.

“We have it on good authority that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government has been mounting undue pressure on the Chief Justice of the Federation and indeed the entire court to accept a handpicked panel,” CUPP alleged.

The coalition, however, provided no independent evidence to substantiate the allegation.

CUPP said Atiku had exercised his constitutional right to appeal the tribunal judgment and argued that the composition of the Supreme Court panel should inspire confidence among all parties.

According to the opposition coalition, Nigerians would be more likely to accept the eventual judgment if the process of selecting the justices was seen as transparent and consistent with established judicial practice.

It maintained that all Supreme Court justices were qualified to hear the matter but argued that following seniority would help prevent suspicions of political interference.

The coalition also criticised the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, maintaining that it disagreed with the panel’s conclusions and believed Atiku’s appeal deserved fresh consideration by the apex court.

CUPP used the briefing to renew broader criticism of the Buhari administration over the economy, insecurity, public debt, taxation, corruption allegations and respect for court orders.

It accused the government of weakening public confidence in institutions and argued that the judiciary must remain independent from political pressure.

The coalition also referred to the suspension of former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen shortly before the 2019 general election, saying the controversy surrounding his removal contributed to its concerns about the independence of the judiciary.

CUPP insisted that the established order of seniority should be respected in constituting the panel that would determine Atiku’s appeal.

According to the coalition, maintaining the traditional process would help assure Nigerians that the Supreme Court’s eventual decision was reached independently and without political influence.

It therefore urged the leadership of the judiciary to resist any alleged attempt to influence the composition of the panel and ensure that the appeal was determined strictly on its legal merits.