A human rights group in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and
Social Justice (CHRSJ) has thrown its weight behind the position of
the Ekiti State governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose on the Taraba State
Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s judgment that the apex body
of the bench in the land, the National Judicial Council (NJC) should
investigate the Presiding Judges of the tribunal led by Justice Musa
Danladi Abubakar and its judgment on the Taraba State governorship
election ,insisting that the judgment was delivered in error and
against the wishes of the masses in the State.
The group also commended Governor Ayodele Fayose for being alone
voice in the wilderness to always speaking the truth, particularly,
against the recent Taraba State Governorship Election Petition
Tribunal’s Judgment and other Sundry national issues in the past,
reiterating the group’s call to the Judicial Council to commence
proper investigation into the Judgment of the Guber Tribunal, saying
that the Judgment was given in bad faith, describing the ruling as
abomination, aberation and anathema to democratic rule which is
contrary to Judges’ Code of Conduct as stipulated in the Paragraph 1
of Part 1 of the 5th Schedule of the 1979 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria which warned that “a Judge shall not put
himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his
duties and responsibilities”, as enshrined in the Bench and Bar in
Nigeria.
In a press statement issued and signed by the group’s Executive
Chairman,Comrade Adeniyi ,Alimi Sulaiman ,which a copy was made
available to newsmen in Lagos yesterday, maintained that such judicial
recklessness like that of Governorship Election Petition Tribunal
in Taraba State should not be allowed to stand a test of time by
lovers of democracy and good governance ,urging the lovers of
democracy in the country at home and abroad to stand up against this
miscarriage of justice .
CHRSJ boss however opined that the Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar
led-Taraba State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal should be
held responsible for the political crisis which erupted after the
Judgment in the State where no fewer than ten (10) innocent citizens
were lost their lives and many were reportedly injured, noting that
the blood of those who lost their lives in the crisis would continue
to hurt the Judicial officers of the tribunal for their alleged
conspiracy.
CHRSJ chief further stressed that the nation’s electoral body, the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also acted in
error which was against its statutory function of accepting and
rejecting the party’s candidate before the conduct of any election,
explaining that presenting before the Tribunal that Peoples
Democratic Party(PDP) governorship candidate, Governor Darius Ishaku
was not properly choose at the their party primary was after thought
, describing the INEC position as wicked, uncalled for ,un-ethics,
unconstitutional and undemocratic ,that could not be tenable in any
sound competent Court of law and conspiracy of highest order in the
history of judicial system in Nigeria.
He added that the Justices of the Tribunal have acted in error which
was contrary to the Section 140(1-4) of the amended electoral act 2010
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Justices of the Taraba
State Tribunal should be punished by committing them into imprisonment
for misleading the country that lead to the political crisis where the
State recoded loss lives of innocent citizens.
According to Suleiman, “Judgment of the Tribunal headed by Justice
Musa Danladi Abubakar has clearly shown the act of conspiracy on the
part of Presiding Judges and the lovers of current democratic
experiment should not allow this travesty of justice to stand. All the
Presiding Judges in the Taraba State Election Petition Tribunal should
be crucified for this development. Governor Ayodele Fayose should be
applauded for speaking the truth to the power that be in this current
dispensation on this important issue to save our democracy.
“Those who are criticizing Governor Fayose for his position on the
Tribunal Judgment are enemies of democracy in Nigeria. This is act of
impunity and conspiracy of the Tribunal with the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) .This is high time for judicial officers
to stop being the tool in the hands of Nigeria Politicians. We are
using this medium to inform the new emerging anti-democratic elements
in the Judiciary to be warried of misleading the innocent people of
the nation on the issue of national importance like this nature and
National Judicial Council (NJC) should ready to fish out bad eggs in
the judicial sector of the country”.