In the wake of conflicting court orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction, the Director General of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has said that the Nigerian justice system should be insulated from unethical partisan influences.
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Lukman said that the need to sanitise the Nigerian judiciary should be broadened to ensure that judges with underlying political interests would not preside over political cases where their interests would conflict with their judicial responsibilities.
In the last couple of days, courts of coordinate jurisdiction, have, in a number of political cases, been issuing conflicting and counteracting interim orders, directing political party officers either to vacate, or resume office and also ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise one political aspirant or the other as party’s flag-bearer for forthcoming elections.
In a statement titled, “Nigerian Democracy and Challenges of Nation Building,” yesterday Lukman said that the rule of law would be undermined once the Nigerian judiciary is compromised.
He said that Nigerian democracy is imperiled to the extent that even the routine issue of day-to-day management of political parties in Nigeria has moved to the courts.
He said: “Our common purpose as a nation must be to enthrone high ethical conducts, especially in our judicial institutions. The integrity of judges must be revered such that the Nigerian justice system is insulated from partisan meddling, which then undermines fairness in granting orders by Nigerian courts with respect to political cases.
“Once the Nigerian judiciary is compromised, rule of law will be undermined, which can only further widen the gap between political leaders and government on the one hand, and citizens on the other. If political leaders and governments are disconnected from citizens, potentials for common purpose and strong national bonds will be weak.”
The director general pointed out that this matter should not be taken lightly and stressed that the positive development was that the leadership of the judiciary in the country is already alert to this danger given that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, has given queries to many of the judges in the country involved in giving these conflicting orders.
Lukman also pointed out that the cries of marginalisation, unfairness and injustice in the country bordered only on group interests, which were predominantly ethnic.
He stressed that there must be leaders who are broadminded enough to campaign for justice, equity and fairness beyond their narrow group interests if Nigerian is to be developed.
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