Date Published: 02/11/11

Stop compromising the Judiciary! -SFN

The Shekarau for Nigeria (SfN) Campaign Organisation views the ongoing crisis of confidence and judicial tussle involving the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Iyorgher Katsina-Alu and the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami as the last straw that may break the back of constitutional democracy in Nigeria.
 
After rejecting the CJN's offer of a seat on the Supreme Court, Justice Salami personally deposed in an affidavit that Katsina-Alu had asked him to compromise the Court of Appeal's verdict on the protracted Sokoto governorship case by either disbanding the original panel, which he (Katsina-Alu) believed was about to give verdict adverse to the governor's interest or direct the panel to give judgement in the governor's favor.

This action raises serious questions the adjudication of election cases which will surely trail the forthcoming April polls. If the judiciary is the last hope of the masses of this country, what assurances are there that this judiciary, embroiled in its own politics as it is, can judiciously adjudicate? Is the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) confirming fears that it has infiltrated the judiciary which was hitherto the last refuge of the common man? Is this an attempt to pave the way for malleable jurists to handle the forthcoming election and the attendant litigations?

Tragically, this is not the lone instance in recent times where the PDP is involved in the manipulation of the judiciary. On Tuesday, February 8th, a Federal High Court in Abuja was told that a faction of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo fraudulently obtained the order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing the governor's list containing names of candidates for the April general elections. The PDP said the court was deceived into granting the order as counsel in the matter misrepresented the facts of the case and thereby misleading the court to issue the order.
 
It is also recalled that a diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks last month disclosed that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aaondokaa, had written to British legal authorities to drop the case of money-laundering against former Governor James Ibori of Delta State.

We at the Shekarau for Nigeria (SfN) Campaign Organisation view the current imbroglio in the judiciary as a most dangerous signpost of a creeping dictatorship. The judiciary cannot be a tool of the ruling party if Nigeria is to enjoy genuine democracy and good governance. We are therefore calling on the National Judicial Council to correct this anomaly in order not to further expose the judiciary to the whims and caprices of politicians. Its order suspending Salami's promotion to the apex court needs to be followed by an inquiry into the allegations that arose.
 
Nigerians must from now on be very vigilant and prepared to resist the rape of justice in any quarters. We should also rally round and vote in the people-oriented All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Nigeria must be great.