With Adetunji AyoBrown
The rule of law is democracy, but what can you call the judgement
delirium that swept over the country, decimation that will reverberate
throughout our democratic history? Nigerians tried but many are still
unable to make peace with this, because it goes beyond loyalty but our
collective national survival.
Despite the belief by many that Atiku has established a case capable
of sacking any seating president for the first time in Nigeria’s
history, the final verdict, ‘another turn’, came as a shocker to those
who were following with abated breathe. What else do you expect? Is
what I told someone. He asked me why. I said, it is only where there
is will there is a way. Nigeria is not yet ripe. We all know the
truth. Noise is useless to the deaf audience. But for posterity sake,
let the truth be said for it will surely be written. Say the truth and
put the devil to shame. Can you ask yourself and answer in good faith,
who won the presidential election between Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar? The case is rather too late for physicians but needs
undertakers, a friend tweeted.
The judges compared the evidence provided by Atiku to “a drop in the
ocean”, some friends said, forgery has officially been legalised in
Nigeria. While others think Nigeria doesn’t have a ‘strict
Constitutional Court’. But while arguing with these friends and trying
to make them feel otherwise, I stumbled on this between our other
friends. ‘You could have just come to Nigeria and swear to an
affidavit, and you are automatically a Ph.D holder in physics from
Yale. That’s how we roll – thanks to the yahoo-yahoo judgement of the
Presidential Election Tribunal’. As if that was not enough, see the
reactions of the international community. I belief that our democracy
and judiciary can be this taken to the cleaners. Which made me
exclaimed, but is it really true that it is a yahoo-yahoo judgement. I
inquired further, now this is what Nigerians said. Human rights group
condemns tribunal judgment of presidential election was my first hit.
No, I disagreed but went further.
How come that the Tribunal based its decision on Buhari’s certificate
on presumption, and the claim that differences in names of the
president as pointed out by the petitioner, does not matter, another,
‘Kai’. This one still left many in comatose and making others want to
puke. A complete dismissal of Atiku’s petition by the Presidential
Election Petition Tribunal against all odds, do you believe in Buhari
or his money? A lawyer friend once asked even me. A hundred million
naira question I murmured in answering without been categorical. Why?
Pls don’t ask me, who no like better thing?
Has anyone seen these headlines? ‘Nigerians mourn Buhari’s victory at
tribunal, no celebration’ by Alhaji Buba Galadima, or even these
‘Tribunal Ruling: Forgery officially legalised in Nigeria’, I would
rather say that Nigeria is now a country of Yahoo-yahoo father
arresting his Yahoo-yahoo offspring’. Not funny at all, I tell you
FBI’s job is not complete yet without its investigation into INEC too,
a commission without server. I laugh in Greek.
Kettle calling pot black, ‘I no fit laugh’, Buhari we knew then, will
rather say the truth, between a boy he was and a man he is, what a
politics’. A hundred million naira is quite an expensive introduction;
ask APC’s lawyers and the legal team, story get wings, abi i lie?
Somebody said, “So, the Judiciary in Nigeria has legalized forgery!
The people to pay the price of the wordings of the Tribunal judgement
are ordinary Nigerians”. Simon Ekpa in his reaction to the ruling said
the Nigerian judiciary has officially legalized forgery. “The Judge
said in the reading that “the question about whether the name in the
certificate Mohammed or Muhammadu doesn’t matter so long as there is
Buhari attached to the name” this is ridiculous! This single view from
the Judiciary will make every single document from Nigeria
questionable.”
“It means that Mr. Okorocha Rochas can use documents belonging to Mr.
Rachel or Rochal Okorocha so long as there is Okorocha attached to it,
Nigeria is doom! This is the reason all documents from Nigeria are
subjected to a lot of verification processes before they can be
accepted internationally”, I tell you call 911, if there is anything
like that here. The case indeed is too late for physicians but needs
undertakers, my friend is then very right.
‘Just imagine! You have a HND and banks won’t employ you. Yet, our
judiciary is telling us that a semi-iliterate Buhari is not only
qualified to run for president, but eminently so. And Nigeria wants to
make progress? What a pity!’, was tweeted by someone.
‘What do you expect’, even when Buhari had indeed congratulated
himself even before the judgement, every intellectual should be able
to read between the lines, which I agreed with my friend. But I still
don’t mind, as for me, Buhari still remains president against all
odds. But this, Tribunal judgement: Buhari’s victory will end PDP’s
bad politics in Nigeria by Senator Uba Sani. The senator needs better
tutoring that opposition is ‘no bad’ element in a democracy. But the
Minister of Information said it is not funny.
Many are not surprise that Alhaji Lai Mohammed, speaking for the
Buhari’s administration, came short of calling for the arrest and
prosecution of opposition members for coming before the appeal court,
a situation which exposed their belief that they own the court and can
determine the position of the judiciary on any matter. Imagine you
need to apologise for been a formidable opposition, if you disagree
with this statement, ask Lai Mohammed. He wants PDP to apologise to
Nigerians for distracting the presidency with their petition and
advised against appealing the judgment at the Supreme Court. His
definition of democracy is somehow, many Nigerians busted. Nothing is
worse than been alone in a strange situation, ‘terrible fathers
arresting unrepentant children’ will rather not be a bad topic for
good twitters to tell Nigeria tales. His alleged role in the N2.5
billion National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) fraud needs FBI,
because the EFCC seems to be slumbering.
While critics are about to have issues from today’s ruling by the
Tribunal, one of many issues that’ll remain in the spotlight for years
to come, is the Tribunal’s basing its decision on Buhari’s certificate
on presumption, and the claim that differences in names of the
president as pointed out by the petitioner, does not matter.
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria too condemned the judgment
in a statement, where the group said it was horrified by the judgment,
stating that the judicial system is compromised and tainted by
political loyalty.
Even PDP members too want to chop Federal largesse oo, news had it
that free dollars are still available and calls for decamping, even
among PDP governors too, who fit blame them? Ask Governor Wike, and
not me. Though, former governor Ayodele Fayose denies congratulating
Buhari.
Many were baffled that the tribunal could dismiss important issues
raised. No wonder, many said our judicial system as it is currently
constituted is dysfunctional, is compromised, is tainted politically,
is populated and driven physically by people with the wrong mindset
who are not patriotic, who are not committed to the real essence of
justice as it should be. That the tribunal had upheld that the
certificate of President Buhari with the Nigerian Military was higher
than a secondary school certificate and therefore he was ’eminently’
qualified to contest for the position of president, is somehow, ask
the international community.
‘We are not surprised that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal
has wrongly confirmed the overwhelming perception of most critically
minded Nigerians that nothing good will ever come out from the current
contraption we call the Nigerian judicial system’, many opined.
Nigerians, not Atiku, are losers said, CUPP.
Faith is to believe when there is nothing you can do. People needs
prayers more than bread itself, it tell us how to live and why, as it
was passed in the judgement. No wonder, the wife of Vice president,
Dolapo, thinks Nigerians need serious prayer sessions. Her statement
in Benue should be taken serious for all serious-minded Nigerians.
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot
Newspaper, writes via [email protected]
