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Afe Babalola Wants Supreme Court’s Justices To Serve Until Death Or 100 Years

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Afe Babalola Wants Supreme Court's Justices To Serve Until Death Or 100 Years

Due to the experience and wisdom that come with age, Supreme Court Justices’ retirement age should be reviewed from 70 to 100 years or they serve until death, a legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has said.

According to a statement issued by Tunde Olofintila, the Director, Corporate Information of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD), in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday. Babalola, founder of ABUAD, made the call at the virtual launch of books in honour of Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, CFR, of the Supreme Court to mark his retirement from the bench on attaining 70.

Babalola canvassed a review of the age of retirement of judges, especially those of the Supreme Court’s justices from the current 70 to 100 or more, if life service is not possible.

His words: ”There is an urgent need for a reform of our judicial system. This is with particular regard to age of judges, most especially those at the Supreme Court. Experience has shown that a person becomes wiser and more experienced as he advances in age.

“Under our judicial system today, Justice Rhodes-Vivour is retiring at the age of 70 when he has not shown any sign of physical weakness and when Nigeria would have benefitted more from his wealth of wisdom, insight and experience.

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“A brief look at other countries shows that appointment to the Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. There is no age limit for a justice of the Supreme Court to retire. Often times, they stay as long as they probably can. In fact, many die while in office. But those who opt for retirement, the average age is 78 years. The average retirement age has grown a whopping 103 years in other climes”.

The founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, also advocated that under the review, retiring judges should be allowed to practise law.

“Even, if judges are not allowed to return to full practice, there should be a measure of participation in law practice that will ensure their relevance in the nation’s development of law. I suggest that Nigeria should adopt the quasi-restrictive style, which is in operation in the U.S. whereby a sitting judge may recuse himself in the case of conflict of interest or allow retiring judges to prepare and draft pleadings, motions and appellate briefs”, he said.

On appointment of judges, he said the position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, was important and that it should not be based on promotion but strictly on merit.

” I know from experience that the best judges are those who have been in active litigation, who have interacted with clients, who have drafted claims and pleadings and who have addressed legal issues at different level of the courts. This is why in other climes, judges are chosen from seasoned legal practitioners. I recall the case of the late Justice Teslim Olawale Elias, SAN. He was appointed as CJN and President, International Court of Justice. He was Attorney-General of the Federation when he was a Professor at the University of Lagos and was invited to the Supreme Court where he eventually became the CJN.

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I have always been an advocate of a new constitution to correct the ills inherent in the 1999 Constitution bequeathed to Nigerians by the military and christened a people’s constitution. We truly need restructuring in this country today and that will assist us in many diverse ways as well as enable us have a truly federal constitution as a result of which there would be a change in the mode of election and the type of people we would elect to govern us”, Babalola said.

He said : “It would also ensure that the country has part-time legislation, reduce the huge salaries currently being earned by legislators in favour of sitting allowances as well as reduce cost of governance and ensure elections are run at cheaper rates while women representation in governance be higher. ”

Our constitution is the greatest problem of Nigeria, the operation of the constitution is expensive with its attendant over-concentration of power at the centre, thereby rendering the states and local governments totally impotent unlike what obtained under the Parliamentary Constitutions of 1960 and 1963. I say with emphasis that the only change that can change the country for the better and pave the way for the enhancement of a more united Nigeria is to restructure. It is that change that will make politics less attractive, make each state to develop at its own pace and do away with all shades and shapes of criminality, guarantee employment, eradicate poverty and make individuals to become true Nigerians.“

He described Justice Rhodes-Vivour, as an incorruptible , genial, decent, and disciplined person as well as a judge with unquestionable integrity, character, industry and dignity who others should emulate. (NAN)

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BREAKING:Chicago State University Unable To Grant One Request By Atiku As It Releases Tinubu’s Academic Records

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Senator Withdraws Support For Tinubu Over Choice Of Muslim Running Mate
President Bola Tinubu

The Chicago State University (CSU) was unable to meet one request by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar as it finally released to him the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery of CSU certificate against Tinubu. It would mean Tinubu was not qualified to run for the election, which he won, if the allegation is successfully proved against him.

The university, on Monday, presented to Atiku’s legal team, a cache of documents connected to Tinubu’s education at the institution and copies of certificates with redacted names issued to other persons about the same time the Nigerian president finished from the school in 1979.

It also contained Tinubu’s admission records, and a letter dated 27 June 2022 confirming that he attended the university from August 1977 and June 1979 majoring in accounting. The letter said Tinubu was awarded Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with Honours on 22 June 1979.

The District Court in Northern Illinois, had in its judgement delivered on Saturday, given the university up till 12 noon on Monday to deliver the documents to Atiku.

The judge, Nancy Maldonado, gave the other after dismissing Tinubu’s objection in the judgement.

Ms Maldonando dismissed Tinubu’s objection to the 20 September decision of a magistrate judge of the court, Jeffery Gilbert.

The judge fully affirmed Gilbert’s ruling, ordering the CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records as requested by Atiku. She insisted Atiku had the right to have access to the records.

Complying with the court order on Monday, the university produced four sets of documents copies which went viral online on Monday.

In a deposition detailing its compliance with the court order, the university confirmed it was able to grant three of Atiku’s four requests.

Responding to one of the requests it granted, the university said, “after diligent search”. it was able to locate and produce seven different certificates for Bachelor of Science degree it issued in 1979.

Atiku had apparently requested the documents to compare and contrast them with the one presented by Tinubu as his for the 2023 presidential election.

The university also handed to Atiku’s team, documents relating to Tinubu and certified by an official of CSU, Jamar C. Orr, a lawyer.

The university similarly produced, “after diligent search”, copies of three other diploma certificates issued to other students other than Tinubu in 1979.

This was in response to Atiku’s request for “true and correct copies of any diplomas issued by CSU (other than to Tinubu) that contain the same font, seal, signatures, and wording (other than the name of the recipient and the specific degree awarded)”. Atiku sought these documents to compare and contrast them with the one Tinubu claimed to have obtained on or about 22 June 1979.

But the university said it was unable to locate “a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Tinubu in 1979” as requested by Atiku.

This was the kernel of Atiku’s request which is at the heart of the issue he intends to use the documents for in his legal challenge of Tinubu’s victory at the 25 February presidential election.

The university said it “does not in the ordinary course keep copies of student diplomas, and after diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr. Tinubu in 1979, hence has no documents responsive to this request.”

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Group Commends Ogun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s Verdict

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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

A Civil Society Organization, Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance, has commended the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for its verdict on  the March 18, governorship election in the State.

It would be recalled that the tribunal, on Saturday, unanimously validated the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun, as it dismissed all the grounds canvassed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu in their petitions.

The group stated that the verdict was a victory for democracy and affirmation of the people’s choice.

The group, in a statement signed by it’s National Coordinator, Waheed Sulaimon, on Saturday in Abuja, described the judgement as explicit without any ambiguity, saying it was a true reflection of what happened across Ogun State on March 18, 2023.

The group noted that the tribunal delivered its verdict based on the facts and evidence presented before it, as well as the credibility of the electoral process.

It lauded the judiciary for its impartiality in the ongoing election petition-related cases across the country, adding that Nigerians have always reposed their confidence in that arm of government.

The group, therefore, urged all parties involved to accept the decision of the tribunal and join hands with Governor Dapo Abiodun, to work towards the development of the state.

It also called on all stakeholders in the Ogun State project to rally round the governor to make the Gateway State among the best in Nigeria in terms of economic prosperity, political stability and social cohesion.

The group also lauded Governor Abiodun for his commitment to good governance and efforts at ensuring the security of lives and property, as well as his unwavering political will to speedily develop the state.

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BREAKING: Tribunal Sacks Nasarawa Governor Sule, Declares PDP’s Ombugadu Winner

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Nasarawa State Governor Abudullahi Sule

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Monday declared David Ombugadu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the state’s last election.

This was after the tribunal nullified  the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Delivering the judgment virtually, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, declared Ombugadu as the lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State.

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