Supreme court judgments on election petition is an act of courage -Adegboruwa

Lagos based lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, on Thursday described the various judgments of the Supreme court on Election petitions as an act of courage that reflects that there is still hope for Nigeria as a nation, adding that it is a reminder of the golden years of the apex court.
Adegboruwa made this assertion in a statement titled 'Salute to courage' where he stated that the judgments coming in the face of threats, blackmail and intimidation of judges across the land, bear a loud testimony of the valiant struggles of all our heroes past"
The recent judgments of the Supreme Court, in respect of the various election petitions, across the country, spell hope for our country. They constitute a glorious reminder of the golden years of our apex court, when courage, objectivity and intellectualism, were the hallmarks of jurisprudence.
"These erudite decisions, coming in the face of threats, blackmail and intimidation of judges across the land, bear a loud testimony of the valiant struggles of all our heroes past. In another sense, they constitute a bold declaration of judicial autonomy and jurisprudential authority."
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, leading other erudite justices, spoke with the voice of truth, to rescue democracy from its imminent peril. In all these judgments, whether on the side of the All Progressive Congress or the People's Democratic Party or indeed any other party, the Supreme Court spoke as the true oracle of our much cherished judiciary, fearlessly declaring the will of the people over and above primordial and banal sentiments and political affiliations," Adegboruwa stated.
According to the activist, the Supreme Court took the appeals and delivered its judgments  even till late in the night, not giving any room for speculations or manipulations, adding that this restored the pride of the judiciary and sent down courage and strength, to all judges and all courts across the land, to rise up and declare the law, to defend the truth and to do justice according to law, no matter the interests involved. he explained that it is now very clear to everyone, especially those in the corridors of power, that the judiciary is not and can never be the headache of true democrats, but rather the hope of the common man and defender of the rule of law and democracy."I salute the sagacity, the raw courage and the tenacity of my noble Lords in the Supreme Court,to speak the truth and to do justice according to law. I enjoin all our justices in the court of appeal and the judges of the higher courts, all over the land, to refuse to be intimidated, to declare the law and only the law, not minding the personalities or the interests involved."I enjoin all the contenders in these cases, to rise up beyond the sentiments of politics, and to team up to chart the path of progress for their respective states and give us the true dividends of democracy, through rapid development. They should close up the divides, unite for the progress of the people and practice democracy without bitterness or violence."In stating its reasons for these judgments, I urge the Supreme Court to declare, once and for all, the common legal principles to guide all election petitions, remove all the needless contradictions and controversies created in the varying decisions of the lower courts, and give Nigeria a global precedent, to guide all cases relating to elections and public office," he concluded.



Follow us on Twitter: @eUpdateNG