Four Civil Society Organizations, operating under the banner of the ‘Open Justice Alliance,’ have formally called on the National Judicial Council to initiate an investigation into the conduct of the Appeal Court president, Monica Dongban-Mensem, and three justices—Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu, Abdulaziz Waziri, and Okon Abang. These justices were involved in the Plateau State election matter that resulted in the removal of 16 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The appellate court’s decision led to the removal of the lawmakers who had contested in the 2023 polls in the state. The court based its ruling on the PDP’s failure to comply with a court order mandating the conduct of ward and local government congresses before nominating candidates for various elective positions.
Notably, the governor of the state, Caleb Muftwang, faced a similar fate until the Supreme Court overturned the decision last Friday, labeling the earlier ruling as perverse.
Muftwang, addressing the media after a visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Friday, revealed plans to explore both political and legal solutions to address the repercussions of the Appeal Court’s decision, particularly the sacking of PDP lawmakers in the state House of Assembly over pre-election matters.
In a petition submitted by the ‘Open Justice Alliance,’ the CSOs allege that the justices involved contravened established legal principles with their actions. The petition states, “The decisions handed down by the Court of Appeal…resulted in the removal of over 16 candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party…contradicts established legal principles, including the non-justiciability of issues related to the nomination of political party candidates, as established in previous Supreme Court decisions.”
The ‘Open Justice Alliance’ is demanding an immediate and thorough investigation into the actions of the justices, seeking a determination of the propriety of their conduct and calling for appropriate sanctions if culpability is established.