The recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which dismissed all the cases challenging the polls of some governors, including those that had earlier been overturned by two lower courts by the chief Justice, Justice Mahmud Mohammed and his commitee is a show of shame and incompetence in our legal system. It is completely unjustifiable, unacceptable in such cases where Nigerians and the international community were living witnesses to the conduct of the polls in the states where these election petitions emanated and the conclusions were that the elections were terribly mismanaged and marred by violence and malpractices.”
Supreme court in Nigeria is the final point when it comes to electoral matters. From the recent developments, after a careful study of the electoral misdeeds and findings as well as judgements of the two seperate court, Tribunal and Appeal, it is glaring that supreme court is made up of biased judges. It is a disappointing and barbaric situation in a country where electoral malpractice is a major problem.
According to them, rigging, political thuggery, brigandary, ballot box snatching and violence are all acceptable ways of winning elections in Nigeria. They just set a part to evil, by all indications according to them, there is really no need approaching the court to solve your legal problems, you may just consider taking care of things yourselve.
Supreme court has succeeded in setting bad record in Nigerian electoral system as well as encouraging the people to take the laws into their hands during electioneering period. No wonder elections in Nigeria can never be free and fair. No wonder politics in Nigeria is a do or die affair. No wonder our leaders can never do well since supreme court will affirm their rigged election.
In the case of Abia state, the judgement is a pure foul-play and an indication that Supreme Court is careless of our democracy and an agent of anarchy. Does it mean that tribunal and appeal court judges don’t understand electoral laws?, or is their aim to make sure this country remains backward. It means you can rig election by all means and get supreme court affirmation.
In all fairness, the apex court’s judgments is strange, barbaric and a rape of democracy and fair play. Every competent and unbiased judge can not totally upturn the judgements given by the Court of Appeal in the cases of Abia, Taraba poll and the election petitions tribunal with respect to the Akwa Ibom election not to talk of Rivers state where the same supreme court affirmed the governorship election despite contrary findings by the tribunal and appeal courts.
My fear today is that the Supreme Court’s judgment has set a pace for political unrest, rigging, ballot box snatching, killing and all sort of political malpractices in Nigeria. As aconcerned citizen of Nigeria, the apex court judgement is anti-human, anti-democracy, anti-free and fair election, anti-due process and anti-development.
The big question is that, how can they defend them selves citing the unbiased judgements on the cases of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and former Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, who became governors by an order of the Court of Appeal at the time when the biased Supreme Court had yet to have jurisdiction over governorship election appeal cases.
Infact, these unparallel judgements is a shame and an introduction of a new electoral law in Nigeria.
Writing by Jomo Iroha, a public Affairs Commentator.
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