November 15 , 2007

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

ADAMAWA RULING: ALL HAIL THE JUDICIARY

Good news has filtered in again from the Tribunals as the Governorship Election Petition in Adamawa today nullified the victory of Governor Murtala’s Nyako of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Tribunal held that the exclusion of the Action Congress candidate from the Governorship Election in April 14 was illegal and as such the election held was undue.

This is another landmark ruling from the judiciary especially against the background of the subtle blackmail of the judiciary by President Umaru Yar’Adua during the Judges’ Conference last week.

That the judiciary in Nigeria has continued to look at the face of the law and not those pulling the levers of power temporarily shows that the confidence Nigerians have reposed in it is not a misplaced one.

If medals would be awarded for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, which was threatened by the criminal conducts of Obasanjo and Iwu during April elections; the judiciary will take the gold.

Gradually, the judiciary is giving Nigerians the assurance that it can handle disputes arising from conduct of elections instead of such being sorted out on the streets.

But more importantly is that politicians are now beginning to know that henceforth they have to fight elections free and square as whatever they gain at impunity bend would be lost at judicial roundabout.

We enjoin other Tribunals to go ahead and do what is right knowing fully well that God and the will of the traumatized and raped Nigerians would not allow heavens to fall because justice is being done.

As for the shameless Chairman of “Independent” National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu, this is the defining moment. Or does he think that his position is still tenable with all the nullifications left, right and centre?

This is the time for him to quit and allow a fresh air in our electoral space.

Actually he ought to have been fired by now if we had a presidency with moral authority. But since that is not the case, he should voluntarily quit office without delay.




‘Yinka Odumakin
National Publicity Secretary