Supreme Court Justices Placed on US Visa Ban – Retiring jurist

A retiring Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, has disclosed that some justices of the apex courtroom had been positioned on a United States visa ban following a judgment that was extensively misinterpreted.

Speaking on Friday throughout a valedictory session held to mark her retirement from the bench, Justice Abba-Aji stated her time on the Supreme Court was marked by challenges that examined her resolve to uphold justice whatever the penalties.

“My time on the Supreme Court bench was filled with challenges, some of which have served as additional opportunities to stand firm on the side of justice, regardless of the consequences,” she stated.“One of such challenging judgments was widely misinterpreted and led to a travel ban to the United States of America being imposed on all members of the panel, a ban which still holds today.”

Although she didn’t title the precise case, the disclosure is linked to the January 14, 2020, Supreme Court judgment arising from the 2019 Imo State governorship election. A seven-member panel that included the present Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and Justice Abba-Aji nullified the election of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, and ordered the swearing-in of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who had initially completed fourth.

In the lead judgment, the courtroom directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to withdraw the Certificate of Return earlier issued to Ihedioha and difficulty a recent one to Uzodimma because the validly elected governor.

The panel vacated the concurrent selections of the Court of Appeal and the Imo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal that had affirmed Ihedioha’s victory.The justices added outcomes from 388 polling items, totalling 213,295 votes, which had been tendered earlier than the tribunal by a police officer however disowned by INEC. After recomputing the votes within the courtroom, the panel declared Uzodimma the winner.

The panel, led by the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, additionally included Justices Sylvester Ngwuta, Kayode Ariwoola and Amiru Sanusi. Only Justice Centus Nweze dissented, warning that the choice would “continue to haunt our electoral jurisprudence for a long time to come.”Justice Abba-Aji, who’s retiring upon attaining the necessary age of 70, described the visa ban as a part of the sacrifices judicial officers generally make.

“Such inconveniences were a small price to pay to preserve the chastity of justice,” she added.In her remarks, Chief Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun praised the retiring justice for her lengthy profession, which started in 1973 within the Borno State judicial service and included service on the Court of Appeal earlier than her elevation to the Supreme Court in January 2019.

She highlighted Justice Abba-Aji’s contributions to the development of ladies within the judiciary, together with her management of the National Association of Women Judges Nigeria.

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