Nigerian Voters Have A Constitutional Right To Join In Election Petitions

 By  Chidi Anselm Odinkalu 

“The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”

–Article 21(3), Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In April 2017, Maina Kiai changed the face of presidential elections in Kenya. He is neither a politician nor was he a candidate or aspirant seeking political office. Maina trained as a lawyer. For five years, from 2003 he Chaired Kenya’s National Human Rights Commission. In 2011, Maina became the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association. He held that position until 2017.

In The Matter Of Dele Farotimi Before The Star Chamber

 By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

Paul Anyebe was a judge of the High Court of Benue State in north-central Nigeria who had a young son with sticky fingers and a sense of adventure  It was his role as a dad that endangered his job as a judge.

*Dele Farotimi 

One night around 1983, Anyebe caught his son attempting to steal from his bedroom. In response, Anyebe pulled his gun in an effort to scare the boy. The gun went off, discharging a bullet which hit and seriously injured the boy.