As Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Begins Sitting, Meet The Woman That Will Be Deciding The Fate Of Buhari And Atiku

Finally, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal begins sitting today to hear the submission of both the petitioner(s) Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party on one side and the defendants in the person of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress over the result of the 2019 Presidential election which was held February 23rd earlier this year.

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, who heads the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, has assured that justice would be done to all parties in the four petitions filed before the tribunal.

In her speech at the inaugural sitting of the tribunal, Bulkachuwa assured Nigerians and the international community that the tribunal would adhere to the Nigerian Constitution, other relevant statutes and “international best practices.”

“Justice will be done to all parties without fear or favour, affection or ill-will,” she vowed.

Honourable Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, an indigene of Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State, was born 6th March, 1950 to the family of Alhaji Abubakar Gidado EL-Nafaty in Bauchi, Bauchi State. She began her Primary Education at Tudun Wada Primary School, Kaduna in 1957 before moving to Senior Primary School, Maiduguri road, Kaduna in 1961, where she acquired her First School Leaving Certificate in 1963. She later enrolled at Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin where she obtained her West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1968.

Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa proceeded to Abdullahi Bayero College/Ahmadu Bello University Kano between 1971 and 1972 for her GCE ‘A’ Levels and in 1975 she obtained her LL.B (Hons) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She attended the Nigerian Law School between 1975 and 1976.

Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa started her work career as a National Youth Service Corp member on primary assignment at the Ministry of Justice, Kaduna in 1976. She rose through the cadre to become a Chief Magistrate from 1985 to 1987. Her commitment to service led to her appointment as a High Court Judge in 1987.

At the creation of Gombe State she was deployed and sworn in as the Chief Judge of Gombe State Judiciary in 1997. Thereafter, she was appointed as Justice, Court of Appeal (JCA) in 1998. Honourable Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa became The President, Court of Appeal in April, 2014.

She has received a substantial number of awards, notable among which are two National Awards; OFR and CFR in 2008 and 2014 respectively. She is a member of numerous professional bodies and has served on various Judicial Committees. She has also attended workshops and seminars in Nigeria and overseas.