Former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, has revealed how his 2003 judgment that stopped General Muhammadu Buhari from contesting the presidential election strained their relationship.
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In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, Justice Abdullahi said Buhari took the verdict personally and assumed it was deliberately against him. He said this led to avoidance between them for years.
Abdullahi presided over the case where Buhari challenged his disqualification from the 2003 polls by INEC over lack of school certificate. The Appeal Court panel ruled against Buhari based on provisions of the constitution.
According to the retired jurist, Buhari kept blaming him publicly for blocking his ambition and refused explanations that judges rely on law and facts. He said the judgment was agreed by the full panel after conference.
Justice Abdullahi revealed that Buhari’s counsel had tried to influence a dissenting judge to get his vote but failed. He expressed regret that Buhari misunderstood his stance despite being classmates.
The former Appeal Court President said he avoided Buhari for 8 years as president until a reconciliatory meeting in 2019 engineered by the Attorney-General. But their relationship remained distant.
Justice Abdullahi narrated his experiences as a pioneer Court of Appeal justice after starting as a magistrate in Kaduna. He spoke about being the first chief judge of Katsina, his 10-year tenure as Appeal Court President and other landmark cases.
The retired jurist decried allegations of corruption in the judiciary but admitted some judges have fallen. He advocated reforms to weed out bad eggs tarnishing the image of the institution.
Justice Abdullahi also backed diversification in appointing Supreme Court justices to include private lawyers, academics rather than limiting to Appeal Court. He argued this will improve expertise at the apex court.
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