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MIJINYAWA BABA- AGAIE MINNA

Justice Angela Otaluka of the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Minna High court Complex has reiterated that lawyers and other participants at the tribunal should not under any circumstances lobby to get favour, insisting that her self and other members of the tribunal would not compromise.Justice Otaluka further told legal practitioners not to think of lobbying any of her staff for any favour warning that the tribunal under her watch will not under any circumstances to compromise the reputations that she has has build for herself in the discharge of her duty as judge.” Let me say it again for records purpose. Do not for reasons lobby any of my staff or any body else for any favour from members of this tribunal.”If you are thinking of lobbying to get justice you better have a rethink, because you will be disappointed.We have our names and reputation to protect. Don’t just think of lobbying any of my staff for any favour” Justice Angela Otaluka told lawyers at the resumed sitting on Thursday.She maintained that the tribunal under her watch will not for any reason compromise justice but to ensure that justice is seen to be done in all the proceedings of the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal (EPT) She noted that member of the tribunal are on National assignment and not ready to take any excuse from any member of the bar that appears before the tribunal adding that she will not under any circumstances take unnecessary adjournment from lawyers for unjust reason.” This assignment is a national assignment. I have been in this job for thirty years and above.” We left our family members to come down here for this national assignment and for members of the bar to come here to stampede our proceedings such act will not be accepted” What we are here to do Is nothing but Justice. I will not accept unnecessary adjournment in a matter before the tribunal” the tribunal Chairman furiously told lawyers in one of the proceedings during the pre-hearing session.She then admonished legal practitioners participating at the tribunal to extend their hands of mutual cooperation to the members of the tribunal in ensuring the speedy dispensation of Justice as expected.”Let me repeat what I said in my inaugural speech. The tribunal is here to ensure Justice and I will not for any reason allow any participants to draw us back under any guise ” Let me say it again, that the bar is an Iroko tree that has several branches which the bench is one among the branch of the bar.” The bar and the bench need a collective understanding to arrive at the dispensation of Justice to the people Justice Otaluka declared ” What we are here to do Is nothing but Justice to the petitioners and the counsels that are representing the petitioners in this tribunal.” If you think you want to lobby to get justice, you better think other wise” she told the counsels during the Thursday resumed proceedings of the tribunal.Justice Angela Otaluka has been having a running battle with some counsels representing petitioners at the tribunal that were applying frivolous technicality to stampede the proceedings of the tribunal that has just six months from the commencement of its sitting to wind up.During one of the tribunal proceedings, Justice Angela Otaluka took a swipe at Barrister Mohammed Kudu Ndayako SAN, while seeking for an adjournment to mend some of his process presented to the tribunal,Justice Otaluka told the Senior Advocate that the tribunal will not under any reason allow any technicality that will stampede the tribunal insisting that the tribunal is just on assignment for 180 days to wide up.Kudu Ndayako SAN in his submission, told the tribunal that it was not in his practice to seek for unnecessary adjournment in any matters before him as a legal practitioner for over three decades in practice.Ndayako SAN who is a lead counsel to the people Democratic party (PDP), told Justice Angela Otaluka that it was not in his practice to request for an adjournment in any matter that is handling as a counsel for his thirty one years in the bar.” My Lord. I have been in the practice for thirty one years. It has never been in my practice to seek for adjournment in any matter.” In these very circumstances, I requested for an adjournment because my seven days have not been exhorsted.as I said ,it is not in my practice to seek for adjournment” Kudu Ndayako SAN told Justice OtalukaMeanwhile he requested for an adjournment at the Thursday sitting of the tribunal to further present other witnesses in his matter Justice Angela Otaluka then adjourned till Tuesday 6th June for other witnesses to testify in the tribunal.