Judges Directed To Stop Issuing Ex Parte Orders For Political Cases

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdul Kafarati, has stopped judges from issuing ex parte orders in political cases as a way of ending controversies in election matters.

Justice Kafarati made this known on Monday at a special court session to mark the commencement of the Federal High Court’s legal year 2018/2019.

Justice Kafarati also directed judges who have political cases pending before their court to conclude the cases before the end of October 2018.

This move, according to the Chief Judge, will reduce the controversies that surround political cases.

“In an attempt to forestall any hiccups and the blame on the court by the political gladiators, I have during this vacation issued a circular that interim orders ex parte shall not be granted in any political case brought before the court,” he said.

“I believe that controversies, especially in political cases, can be reduced when the court takes a decision after hearing all the parties in the case.”

Concerning the deadline he gave for the conclusion of pending cases, Justice Kafarati said, “It is also extremely important that all political cases that may affect any of the parties which are still pending in any of our courts be concluded without further waste of time to afford all candidates the opportunity to pursue their political ambitions.

“Honourable judges before whom such cases are still pending must endeavour to conclude them before the end of October 2018.”

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), however, wants the rule of law to be respected at all times.

NBA President, Paul Usoro, urged the judges to resist all attempts to subvert the law.

He said, “Given the imminence of our 2019 national elections, this legal year would be anything but ordinary, particularly given the tendency of our politicians to reduce the quest for office and positions as do-or-die affairs.

“Attempts are sometimes made to drag Your Lordship’s courts into these murky waters of politics and in the process embarrass the justice sub-sector.

“Happily, Your Lordships have always, in the main, resisted these attempts and it is our hope that Your Lordships will maintain this stance and position in the coming weeks and months, starting from the imminent cases that would be filed before Your Lordships in regard to parties’ primaries and pre-election matters and right up to the election petitions and other ancillary post-election matters.”