NAGAFF CONDEMNS JUDICIAL RASCALITY
… Expresses Disappointment over Kano Appeal judgement
By Joy Enamuna
The National President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Tochukwu Ezisi,
has discribed the judiciary as a crucial arm and hope for the common man and is expected to act honourably at all times and always stay above board.
However, Ezisi has expressed disappointment over the shenanigans of the judiciary as he decried what he described as judicial rascality largely as a result of the iron grip and the overwhelming influence of the executive .
Chief Ezisi who made the statement in a press release he personally signed during the weekend of which a copy was sent to our correspondent alleged that, “several high-profile legal luminaries have expressed their dismay at the already batterd image of the judiciary due to the ongoing racketeering and buying and selling of judgements.
“A new viral video shows the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) addressing participants at the International Bar Association’s Conference on the level of rot within the Nigerian judiciary. The current trend of the ruling Party at the federal level stealing the mandates of most Nigerians has also created an atmosphere of loss of confidence in the judiciary.”
“The New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) is the brainchild of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and that warrants me to comment on what has negatively affected the party.”
“The Appeal court judgement is not representing overwhelming wish of the majority of the people and the victory of the Kano State Governor in the 2023 gubernatorial election.”
“Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf as well as most Nigerians have been expressing disappointments over miscarriages of justice which is evident in most Court judgements being churned out after the 2023 general election.”
Many are appalled by the judgement of the election petitions tribunal which sacked Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor following the Petition CA/KN/EP/GOV/KAN/34/2023 filed by the candidate of the APC.
According to the press release, “l wish to utilise this opportunity presented by the political atmosphere in the country and also the interests generated in all the elections that were held this year to make an input concerning the judgement of the Appeal Court sitting in Kano which nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigerian People’s Party in favour of the Candidate of All Progressives Congress, Nasir Gawuna on the 18th of November 2023”.
“Democracy as a system of government has certain ingredients that nurture and sustain it. One of these core ingredients is the principle of separation of powers by the three arms of government vis a vis: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
It is indeed disturbing that its principles are gradually being eroded as the top political class seems to explore all negative avenues in ensuring that they undermine these principles once they get into the corridors of power.
While hilighting how Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf emerged, he said “it’s a fact known to law that all political parties have the right to determine who is or who is not a member of their parties and that right should not be taken away from them by mere technicalities”.
“It is noteworthy that Governor Abba Yusuf of the NNPP was duly nominated, sponsored, and elected as the governor of Kano State in substantial compliance with the requirements of the Electoral Act, 2022. At the end of the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced and declared Abba Yusuf of NNPP as the winner of the election, having scored majority of the lawful votes cast which was 1,019,602 votes while Nasir Gawuna of the APC got 890,705”.
APC thereafter challenged the outcome of the election, and the core argument of the APC candidate was that the governor was not a bonafide member of the NNPP as at the time of the contest.
“I am not a lawyer but l know so well that the case of Kano is a pre-election matter. Can a member of another political party challenge the candidature of another candidate of a different political party?. Does APC and its candidate have the locus Standi to raise the issues bordering on this subject matter at the court of appeal even as everyone followed the recent judgement of the Presidential Election Tribunal”.
We at NAGAFF would like to state unequivocally that we still have a level of respect for the judiciary and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and as such, that per incuriam judgement will be appealled to the Supreme Court.
While we beckon on all Nigerians and especially the indigenes of Kano State to remain calm with the hope that justice will be served at the Supreme Court, we most humbly appeal to President Bola Tinubu to look into the solemn points made here and ensure that justice is not just done in Kano State but must be seen to have been done in all pending judgements.
