Newly Appointed Appeal Court Judge Dies After Being Accused Of ‘Cash Bribe’ To Uphold Gov Abiodun Re-Election

A federal appellate judge has passed away while the process of his elevation to the Supreme Court was underway, according to the Peoples Gazette.

According sources within the judiciary, Justice Joseph Shagbaor Ikyegh died on Wednesday evening in his hometown of Makurdi at the age of 65.

It is reported that Justice Ikyegh, who was the president of the Port Harcourt division, suddenly collapsed in front of his family members and was pronounced dead.

His death comes after weeks of political opposition in Ogun accusing him of accepting cash bribes to uphold the controversial reelection of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Justice Ikyegh led the panel that upheld a lower tribunal decision, which was based on a technical claim that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party described as ‘purported’ regarding the initial certification of Governor Abiodun by the electoral office INEC.

Another judge on the three-member panel joined him in the decision.

However, the last judge on the panel, Jane Esienanwan Inyang, dissented and stated that there was no justification for upholding Governor Abiodun’s position.

The matter was promptly appealed to the Supreme Court by Ladi Adebutu, Governor Abiodun’s main challenger in the March 18 governorship election.

Observers of the judiciary have deemed this ruling as one of the most controversial election petition verdicts of the season.

Governor Abiodun has denied all allegations of judicial interference, and those close to Justice Ikyegh have described him as a dedicated jurist who always sought to deliver justice to the Nigerian people.

An official from the NJC confirmed the existence of a pending petition but declined to provide further comments on the matter.

Born in 1958, Justice Ikyegh was among the judges slated for elevation as associate justices of the Supreme Court. This process began a few days ago and was expected to be completed before December 31, 2023.