Arewa Youths Want Election Appeal Hearings In FCT

A civil society organisation, Arewa Youths Alliance for Progress and Development, yesterday called for election appeal hearing to be carried out in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

They raised concern over brewing tension and agitations for political violence following the recent judicial verdicts on several post-election cases across states.

The group listed Kano, Delta and others as political tension and violence-prone states and called on the federal government to relocate election appeal hearings and cases to the Federal Capital Territory.

The convener of the group, Umar Babayaro argued that if electoral actors believe that irregularities can be fairly challenged in an impartial venue, they may be less likely to resort to violence to win.

Babayaro particularly prayed that all relevant security agencies commence investigations on post-election tensions in the country and to ensure integrated security in premises of appeal courts and during election appeal hearings in the FCT.

While justifying the rationale for the relocation, he further stated that, “In situations where electoral actors believe that there are no viable venues to resolve problematic elections, political actors may be more likely to turn to intimidation, harassment and physical attacks to win elections.

“The role of the judiciary hence, is to create and ensure a level playground for all political actors and this can be better achieved through an enabling environment where the tendencies of fair hearing and protection of both the ‘Bar and the Bench’ are incontrovertible”.