Oct.30, 2023

…Says alarm raised by retired Justice Muhammad confirms all is not well with the S/Court

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic party, (PDP) at the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar says alarm raised by retired Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad is a confirmation from within the apex court that all is not well with the Supreme Court.

Political Economistng reports that Justice Muhammad had been critical of the Judiciary in his valedictory speech condemning the enormous concentration of power in the hands of the CJN in terms of appointments into the various judicial bodies and administration of justice system in Nigeria

However, Atiku speaking at a World Press Conference on the Presidential Election Petition Judgement called on the court and indeed the judiciary never to lend itself to politicisation as it is currently the norm with nearly every institution in Nigeria.

He noted that the alarm raised by Justice and recently, former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, should not be swept under the carpet as they offer Nigerians an explanation into why the electoral and judicial system have become the lost hope of the common man.

“Judges are no longer appointed based on merit but are products of the interplay of politics and nepotism. Worse still, the appointment of electoral officials has also been hijacked by the ruling party as seen in the latest nomination of Resident Electoral Commissioners where card carrying members of the ruling party and aides to politicians in the APC are being appointed into INEC”.

“When two critical institutions like the court and the electoral commission are trapped in an evil web of political machination, it becomes next to impossible for democracy to thrive”.

Atiku noted that he along with other well-meaning Nigerians have done their in ensuring that our democratic process enjoys the privilege of full disclosure of the character deficiencies of the current political leadership.

“I also believe that even if the Supreme Court believes otherwise, the purpose of technology in our electoral system is to enhance transparency and not merely as a viewing centre. We have to move with the world and not be stuck in time”, he said.