Foremost law teacher and legal luminary, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN has condemned the recent surge of applications to the Supreme Court by Politicians and political parties to review its judgments on political cases.
Prof. Ojukwu in a statement warns that the recent trend are capable of ridiculing the judiciary and judicial process in Nigeria.
In his words; “It is not good especially because these cases simply relate to the average Nigerian leaders’ dishonest struggle for power just to corruptly seize our resources for their selfish use.”
Ojukwu was of the view that the recent development would have been welcomed if they relate to matters which affect the rights of citizens and the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians.
“If the cases were matters concerning human rights of citizens, socio-economic issues or death penalty one would have had sympathy. Unfortunately the cases that are being championed for review are those concerning political leaders who have brought our nation down on her knees by their very corrupt model of election and governance.”
“These cases rather than help with rebuilding confidence in our judiciary as being propagated by some lawyers actually have a direct opposite effect of ridiculing the judiciary and justice process. I think that the Supreme Court of Nigeria will and should treat these cases with the greatest contempt they deserve.”
It would be recalled that the Supreme Court has received about five applications from political parties for the review of the Apex Court’s decision on electoral cases. The applications were for the review of the Governorship election appelas from Zamfara State, Imo State, and Bayelsa State. Also , the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Atiku Abubakar have applied to the Supreme Court to review its decision on the Presidential election appeal.