The Supreme Court’s recent radical rulings on Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states governorship election cases have once again restored the people’s belief in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man. The above statement is truer in the cases of Chief Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom) and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) all from the Peoples Democratic Party, the current main opposition party in the country.
Apart from winning the governorship elections held last year in their respective states, these governors had waged relentless electoral wars to salvage their victories from the jaws of their powerful APC opponents. These governors waged serious wars to secure their PDP tickets for the polls. After their victories, the battle field then shifted to the various Governorship Election Petitions Tribunals, where their APC counterparts vowed to wrestle victory from them simply because their party is now the ruling party, a trophy that the PDP held for 16 unbroken years under the strong grips of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
Despite the prophetic pronouncements by notable APC chieftains, especially its chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that the party would takeover Rivers and Akwa Ibom, Wike and Emmanuel glaringly triumphed.
A similar boast and ambition by the new ruling party in Bayelsa State also crumbled like a pack of cards in a windy afternoon when Henry Seriaki Dickson defeated APC’s Timipre Sylva in the just concluded Bayelsa gubernatorial poll. It was also widely rumoured that the twist in Abia ruling before the Supreme Court’s intervention was instigated by the APC even though the party in strong contention for Abia gubernatorial election is APGA.
Regardless of the truth or otherwise of the allegation over Abia poll, it appears that the apex court has come to redeem the battered image of the judiciary in some of their conflicting rulings in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Abia and some other states. Nigerians are waiting to see how the apex court will handle the Taraba case and others before it.
I strongly commend the apex court under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Federation (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, for rising to the occasion when it mattered most. In spite of the recent uncomplimentary remarks on the nation’s judiciary over its handling of corruption cases by President Muhammadu Buhari, I still believe that all hope is not yet lost on that vital arm of government, without which, there will be no democracy.
While most Nigerians are not averse to fighting corruption and the recovery of looted funds, due process and rule of law must be strictly adhered to. I disagree with the recent position of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed that since the looters did not respect the human rights of Nigerians in taking away what belonged to all of us, their fundamental human rights as accused persons should be abridged.
I believe that Mohammed is echoing the stand of the APC-led federal government and the president has confirmed that in his recent utterance on the judiciary. The disrespect for human rights of an accused person as being championed by APC leaders contradicts our laws and the tenets of democracy and such ancient method of fighting corruption belongs to the antiquities.
The inhuman treatment accorded to the PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh by parading him in handcuffs during his arraignment in the court, illustrates this primitive method of prosecuting corruption cases. Such should not happen in 21st century Nigeria if we are indeed in a change dispensation and if we are indeed part of this civilized global village.
I am for the war against graft in all its ramifications but I am vehemently opposed to its method of abuse of human rights of suspects and overdose of media drama in the entire war. Our laws assumed that the accused is innocent until the contrary is proved. This age-long principle of handling criminal matters should be obeyed at all times.
Bringing mostly PDP members to court in a style that makes them look criminal is uncivil and stands condemned. Trying only PDP members as currently depicted does not distract from the fact that some APC chieftains are not immune from corruption and should also be tried. This is the popular thinking among Nigerians.
Nigerians also want good government and better conditions of living and not media trial of corruption suspects alone. Nigerians want diligent conviction of corrupt persons with less noise and the dramatic. The anti-graft agencies, the police and the judiciary should be allowed to prosecute all criminal matters including financial graft. It is never the duty of the executive arm of government.
The judiciary under a democratic setting, as we have now, should be allowed to perform its functions without undue meddlesomeness. The war against graft cannot be won without changing the mindset of all Nigerians, especially the politicians on African societal values that place high premium on human life over money and other material things.
The attitude of Nigerians on morality, honour and service needs new orientation for the war against corruption to succeed. There is the need to also define corruption before we can fight it. To me, corruption goes beyond the looting of treasury.
There are other forms of corruption that we shy away from. The structural imbalance that the 2014 National Conference wants to address in the country is one of them as well as the killing of local government system. There are many others. Labeling or calling some people names will not make the war to be a success.
The atmosphere before the governorship elections was charged but it was more charged after because of the grandstanding of the ruling party to retrieve victory through the courts. In spite of the position of weakness of the PDP candidates, the trio of Wike, Emmanuel and Ikpeazu moved with strong faith in the justness of their cause and the impartiality of the judiciary. In their struggles to keep their mandates, a Daniel actually came to judgement despite all the temporary setbacks. And it came to pass, hence all of them dedicated their victories to God, their people and the judiciary for standing on the path of justice.
Now that the Supreme Court has affirmed their elections, they should all work hard to fulfill their electoral promises to all the citizens of their states irrespective of party affiliations. They should treat their entire states as one constituency and ensure that development projects reach every part therein.
Let them eschew rancor and bitterness and work with willing opposition party members in their states in the spirit of reconciliation.
Since the apex court’s ruling is like one local Nigerian adage, ‘God’s case no appeal,’ I, therefore, call on the opposition elements in these states to sheathe their swords and resolve to truly work with the party in power and move their states to the next level. That is the only way they can also contribute to the socio-economic development of their states.
The judiciary should be commended for checkmating the move, whether true or false, by some politicians to drag Nigeria into a one-party state. The judiciary has so far demonstrated that it is neither for APC nor PDP. Our democracy needs strong judiciary not strong politicians to thrive.
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