Tag: PEPC

On the surface, the petition written by the Coalition of Concerned Nigerians (CCN), and signed by about a measly 100 people as at Thursday, is an altruistic attempt to ensure justice in the suits filed before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP). The coalition seemed dedicated to the cause of democracy, and is anxious to promote justice. But the content of the petition, which its leaders claimed had been signed by some 100 people, reveals that their commitment to democracy and justice is tenuous, if not superfluous. Whether the coalition recognises that assailing the eminent justices with petitions and innuendos is capable of eroding rather than reinforcing justice is not clear. What is, however, clear is that their petition aligns with other actions taken by opposition forces to pressure the judiciary, discompose the judges, and in the end probably truncate the cause of justice they claim to be advancing.

The opening paragraph of the petition addressed to the lead judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani, manages to sustain feigned neutrality for a few sentences. “We, the Coalition of Concerned Nigerians (CCN), write to you today with a deep sense of responsibility and a firm belief in the sanctity of justice,” the petition begins grandiosely. “As the lead Judge of the esteemed panel of Judges entrusted with the critical task of adjudicating the 2023 presidential election petition, we implore you to honour and strictly abide by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to which you have all solemnly sworn allegiance…Nigeria stands at a watershed at this moment, where citizens from all corners of our diverse nation have united to safeguard our democracy through free, fair, and credible elections. We trust in your wisdom and impartiality to recognise the gravity of this moment.”

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But in the very next paragraph, all pretences are off. The coalition writes: “It is crucial to note that invited and accredited election observers, such as the European Union (EU) mission, have presented detailed reports highlighting numerous aberrations before, during and after the elections. These reports, along with other substantial evidence, have been diligently presented before this tribunal. We beseech you to consider these vital pieces of evidence and apply the law with the utmost objectivity and fairness. The judiciary holds the sacred responsibility of being the last hope of the common man. Nigerians at home and abroad anxiously look forward to you for justice in this unprecedented and distinct election.” It is only the PDP and LP, especially the latter, that set much store by the reports of the few EU observers. The opposition had also given far more publicity to the EU reports than its evidentiary value was worth. And to suggest that the EU reports, together with other ‘substantial evidence’, had been ‘diligently presented’ before the court is to stretch legal fabrication to its inane limit. Clearly the CCN’s second paragraph insinuates very distressingly that the EU reports are ‘vital pieces of evidence’ deserving of the application of the law ‘with the utmost objectivity and fairness’. Obviously, in the estimation of the coalition, any other outcome other than the one it secretly nurses will not be objective or fair.

But not satisfied trying the case out of court and disreputably assigning weights to the evidence before the court, the CCN goes on to issue threats against the justices, probably not aware of just how close it is sailing near the wind of insurrection and incitement. According to the coalition, and still addressing the court and the lead judge: “Your decisions will profoundly impact the course of our nation’s future. This is a golden opportunity for each of you to etch your names in the annals of Nigerian history by upholding the principles of justice and equity. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ As guardians of justice, we implore you to recognise the profound importance of your role and the impact it has on our society as a whole. By delivering a just and unbiased verdict, you will not only uphold the principles of justice but also inspire faith and confidence in our judiciary…”

Even if the threats are ignored or downplayed, the question still remains: what in the eyes of the CCN amounts to ‘a just and unbiased verdict’, and in what ways would the judgement and the justices ‘uphold the principles of justice’? It is disheartening what partisanship is doing to reasoning and sense of community in the country. If the CCN is in Jos, and going by the metrics of the votes in Plateau State, it may be inferred that the coalition has probably been influenced by religious sentiments. But quite apart from whatever influences are driving and distorting the logic and vision of the CCN, it is shocking that the coalition and other LP and PDP sympathisers are not shaken by their unrestrained and subversive goal of pressuring and subverting the judiciary. They seem to recognise that their actions are unprecedented and unnatural; but they have a messianic and amoral goal to achieve, and they will stop at nothing to achieve it.