Over 100 civil society organizations have united in rejecting the Appeal Court judgments regarding the Plateau State National Assembly elections.
The Coalition for Justice in Africa, representing the group, criticized the ruling, labeling it as biased and aimed specifically at members of the People’s Democratic Party. During a press conference in Abuja, Daniel Okwa, the Convener of the coalition, expressed that the court’s decision amounts to a violation of democracy.
Okwa said pre-election matters are to be decided before elections and therefore, there is no locus standi under the law for it to be used to form a judgment.
He considers it an Irony that this was what played out during the Appeal Court judgment that removed some members of the PDP in the National Assembly which is in contradiction with the position of the Supreme Court.
Okwa conveyed the perplexity of the Coalition for Justice in Africa, questioning why an internal party matter should concern another party and form the basis for a judgment. The fact that the esteemed justices of the Appeal Court would seemingly overturn the law is both unsettling and disheartening. This he said could result to a dangerous precedence and a gateway to endless litigation in the future.
“The wisdom of dealing with pre-election matters before polls has now been undone, with the consequence that those who contested and won political office will now be spending the time they should have committed to delivering their mandate in court,” he said.
“The Coalition for Justice in Africa frowns on such a miscarriage of justice. It is our conviction that the internal affairs of a political party do not have anything to do with winning elections.
“This is a rape of democracy that tends to discredit the reputation of the judicial arm of government. The judgment is political and not on its merit. The assumption that the judiciary is the people’s hope has been grossly eroded.
“It is also evident that some powerful forces have taken control of the country’s judiciary. These vested interests would spare nothing in their insatiable desire to continue to rape democracy in Nigeria” he added
Concerning the APC challenging the primary elections of the PDP, He added “Where is the principle of a meddlesome interloper if APC will challenge the primaries of another party and succeed? This is dangerous for our democracy. The Supreme Court must address this evil decision in any future Appeal before it.
“It is an abracadabra that all well-meaning democrats in Nigeria should resist. Democracy is on the verge of annihilation with the disposition of the justices of the Appeal Court in the dispensation of justice.
“The Supreme Court has stated the importance of locus standi in pre-election matters in the case ALAHASSAN & ANOR V. ISHAKU & OTHERS (2016) LPELR-40083(SC) (Pp. 39 paras. D), where it held thus:
“As I said earlier, the appellant is a member of the PDP, not APC, and even if he is a member of the APC, he would have no locus to challenge the nomination of the 1st Respondent as he is not one of the aspirants who participated in the primary election.
“There is a plethora of cases and decisions on the issue of whether a member of a political party can sue another party for non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. This is what played out at the Appeal Court, and it is such a shame that the custodians of the law have bastardized the law.
“The Coalition for Justice in Africa wishes to state in unequivocal terms that this decision questions our values as a nation if this brazen rape of democracy is allowed to stand.
“The judgment has painted the judiciary in a negative light. It’s clear and evident that while the cases were before the Appeal Court, some highly placed individuals took advantage of the gullibility of our judicial officers to desecrate our democracy.
“We are further concerned that the Court of Appeal has willfully decapitated the opposition in the country since fewer PDP lawmakers mean the country has edged one step closer to becoming a one-party dictatorship.
“The few PDP lawmakers left in the National Assembly are now easier targets for the ruling party should it decide to clamp down on the opposition. This is a consideration our dear judicial officers should have borne in mind before reintroducing pre-election matters into post-election litigation.
“Questions on our values as a nation will be asked if this brazen rape of democracy is allowed to stand. It is our firm conviction that the Supreme Court will address this anomaly in the fullness of time and save our democracy from destruction.”
Merely a day ago, a multitude of Plateau youths, both men and women, took to the streets of Jos, the state capital, in protest. They expressed their discontent with what they perceive as contradictory judgments from the tribunal and Court of Appeal, specifically aimed at ousting elected state and National Assembly members affiliated with the People’s Democratic Party in the state.
