By Tunde Opalana
While Nigerians await the outcome of proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court, a pro- democracy group has urged the judiciary to adjudicate fairly by basing its judgement on the rule of law and constitutionality.
The group, Diaspora Action for Democracy in Africa (DADA) at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday said the judiciary is not only the bastion of democracy but capable of saving the country from implosion by handling the presidential election petition professionally without bias for political colouration.
The body said the 2023 presidential election and consequent judicial process has been one of the utmost national topical issues by Nigerians at home and in the diaspora.
Addressing the press conference, spokesperson of DADA, Great Imo Jonathan charged the justices sitting over the case to be conscious of the fact that no other election tribunal has raised the consciousness of Nigerians more than the 2023 presidential election which they are currently presiding over.
“As far as Nigeria and the 2023 presidential election tribunal are concerned, the mantra, All Eyes on The Judiciary, which has assumed the position of Nigeria’s fearless twitterati should tell judges that it is no longer business as usual.
“Arising from our discussions with a wide array of Nigerians is the fear that the judiciary needs to be cautious because if their verdict fails to satisfy the requirements of justice it may detonate the youth’s simmering anger and set the country ablaze.
“The Judiciary is the only institution that has all that it takes to save this country from the threat of implosion. All eyes have been on the judiciary because of Nigeria’s respect for the law,” said the group.
While deploring the threat by a candidate in the elections against the judiciary that if he is removed for not measuring up to the demands of the electoral laws of the land there will be chaos and anarchy in the country as an empty threat, DADA said “what is likely to cause chaos and anarchy will be any attempt to pervert the justice that is so glaring.”
Putting the judiciary on its toes, the group submitted that the outlook for the Judiciary in 2023 is a tricky one.
“To be sure, there have been moments in Nigeria’s history when the Judiciary distinguished itself as a bastion of our democracy and cherished rule of law principles. Opinions are however, bound to be divided, as to whether the recent outlook of that institution inspires similar hope at this time.
“Whatever side of the divide one might identify with, what is however, clear, is that we might have just come to one of such critical junctures in our history again, and the enormous role of the judiciary in shaping it, should not be lost on it,” it added.
Speaking on the impasse in Nigeria Republic, DADA said regardless of the positions taken by various parties that have direct or tangential interests in Niger, primacy must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub region.
READ ALSO: Tinubu choice of Dr Betta Edu as Minister of..
“Whereas ECOWAS authorities have indicated that they remain open to various conflict resolution options, diplomacy should remain the overarching imperative in resolving the present crisis.
“We join the many well-meaning Nigerians who have advocated that any intervention in the crisis, should be pre-eminently through diplomatic dialogue among all strategic interests in the crisis.
“The people of Niger are allowed via their national institutions, the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government,” said the group.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.