Why Supreme court should end politics of brinkmanship in kogi, NIDDJ

By James Adeniyi 

A non governmental organization under the aegis of Northern Initiative for Defense of Democracy and Justice (NIDDJ) has urged the Apex court of the country, Supreme court to  give a fair trial on the petition pending before her  in respect of the dispute arising from  11th November governorship election in kogi state .

The president of NIDDJ , Ambassador Nurudeen Musa Sadiq disclosed this in Abuja on Sunday at a press conference as the supreme court is set to commence  proceeding on the  case.

Ambassador Sadiq stated that a fair judgement at the apex court will end  the ugly  trend  that had been trailing proceedings at the lower courts over the said  petition, resulting  in alleged  miscarriage of justice in the eyes of the  public .

Also, he said the firmness of the apex over the petition could  reaffirmed  the integrity of judiciary  as avowed defender of the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution of the  country.

 "The proceedings at the governorship tribunal hardly  gathered momentum when the chatter box supporters of one of the  litigants in the case started celebrating an acclaimed  victory.

"The community of the confluence was awash  with the news on how  the judgement was allegedly "secured" at the tribunal, describing  the then  ongoing proceeding as a mere formalities to fulfil all righteousness", he said .

The president of NIDDJ stressed  that initially they took  such political behaviour by supporters of  litigants in such a  case  as a mere flying of kites,and inconsequential to justice and principle of fair hearing.

Then, he added that the organisation could not be swayed to think otherwise by alleged unwholesome practices that was household news in kogi during the proceeding at the tribunal.

"Again, in the midway into the proceeding at the Appeal court , the same "lullaby of our judgment have been secured and sealed " rented the air of confluence.

 "The same litigant and his chatter bots supporters went wild  into  victory celebration before  judgement was eventually delivered by the court, and  as usual , in their favour.

"The Appeal court  aligned in totality with the tribunal's judgement ,without shedding more  light to grey areas, particularly the abandoned records of BVAS in the said election by the tribunal , which is of public interest and the kernel of the case .

"Again, we were dumb struck when the same Appeal  court in its ruling threw out  the appeal of a litigant in the case of  governorship election petition in Bayelsa state on the ground of no  report of BVAS  records of the election", he added 

Ambassador Sadiq stressed further that kogi petitioner presented the records of BVAS in consonance with the procedure of the enabling law , electoral act and the constitution, yet the same court upheld the stand of the tribunal in its judgement over kogi petition.

"We are all waiting for the supreme court to clear the air  on  the legality or constitutionality of the  lower courts judgment on kogi petition, particularly the  documented and abandoned BVAS records on the said election.

 "Last week, the chatter box supporters of the same litigant trooped out celebrating yet, "our victory, secured and sealed", creating Impression that something is amiss and an  another charade in loading at the supreme court", he said .

He said the news no doubt  jolted everyone, particularly as  the court has not commenced proceeding on the said  case pending before her.

Ambassador Sadiq stressed further that this most recent  "victory song" has made  the people of the state and admirers of democracy to become worry warts, screaming  of yet another blue murder in the offing .

"We, the members of  NIDDJ view these trend  as an attempt to smear the judiciary with bad names and drag it in the  mud of  public justice, including sending spanner to highly secured current enduring democracy .

"We therefore appeal to supreme court ,for the sake of the survival of democracy, rule of law, image of judiciary and the suffering people of kogi to treat the petition before it on principle of fair play , devoid of technicality for true blue leadership to emerge  in kogi state .