Hearings in seven governorship appeals at the Supreme Court were on Monday stalled following the sudden illness of a member of the seven-man panel hearing the appeals.
The appeals involved the governorship elections in Kano, Benue, Plateau, Imo, Sokoto, Bauchi and Adamawa States.
Chairman of the seven-man panel and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad had shortly after commencement of hearing in the appeals announced that the court will be rising following the ill health of a member of the panel.
The CJN however did not disclose the particular member of the panel who was ill.
However after about an hour, the matter was stood down as the registrar of the Supreme Court announced to the court that hearing in the appeals have been adjourned till Tuesday January 14, 2020.
It was the second time the apex court would be standing down hearing in the appeals in one day.
The court had shortly after convening rose for order to be restored. Politicians and their supporters had besieged the apex court in their hundreds to witness the proceedings making the court to be rowdy and not conducive for sitting.
When the court reconvened again barely a few minutes after taking appearances and briefs from Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), lawyer to the appellant, Abbah Yusuf, the court suddenly announced that it would be rising.
The counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joseph Daudu (SAN), was on his feet to adopt his brief of argument, when the CJN cuts in: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the court has to rise,” adding that a member of the panel suddenly took ill.
Although as at the time of filing this report it cannot be ascertained the particular Justice who took.
Details later…
