‘JUDIOCRACY’ IN NIGERIA By: Femi Idowu

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By: Femi Idowu

I don’t know how you feel but I am nauseated by the spate of judgements redefining the will of the people in Nigeria.
I actually did not vote in the recent series of the so called 2023 elections in the country and I feel so bad. I can now imagine the feeling of those who defied all uncertainties, threat to life and property, to spend hours at the polling centres- simply to have their efforts thwarted by some members of the judiciary.
At the moment I am short of words to back my believe in the democratic process as the way forward for Nigeria.
Don’t get me wrong, I am forever a democrat but the way we are handling the process in Nigeria is so discouraging.
I am too sure someone reading this piece is saying to themselves ‘he resides in London and thinks he can continue to dabble in Nigeria’s politics.’ For so many reasons I see myself at a vantage position operating from here at the moment. As a matter of fact it’s good to remember that the NADECO guys had to Japa to the Diaspora to properly put their act together.
That however is not the issue for discussion here. I am deeply worried that the huge sums of money we are spending on INEC is almost a complete waste.
I am beginning to think that INEC, as presently constituted, was set up deliberately to fail and possibly as ‘source of enrichment’ for some people. All the promises that pumping money into INEC for sophisticated technology devices will give us fool proof elections is obviously clearly a bundle of lies now.
Looks like all the gadgets always malfunction.
The latest 3 off season elections is a shame beyond measure. Same goes for the entire process! All over the country.
Almost all the elections conducted in Nigeria have been challenged in the law courts.
In dismay we continue to witness the drama and national shame. The election tribunal dethrones one and is re-instated by the Appeal Court, only to be dethroned again by the Supreme Court. For some others it’s a different pattern but senior lawyers are definitely laughing to the banks.
In a country where the reputation of the judiciary is at the lowest ebb, I wonder why anyone expects us to trust their judgment, apart from the fact that installing political leaders by judges, to some of us is not part of our understanding of democracy.
The CTC issue in Kano State is indeed very baffling – part of the disturbing state of the judiciary.
The big question is: are politicians buying their way to power through the courts in our country?
It’s obvious from many examples, that if we had higher courts to the Supreme Court, some political cases would almost be in court perpetually.
The Supreme Court is legally the final point of resolution of issues legally but most of the political cases on which the highest court has pronounced judgment-including the presidential election- remain ‘inconclusive’ in the minds of many Nigerians.
The aggrieved parties continue to look for ‘constitutional ways’ to present their cases in the ‘people’s court’.
I don’t think they are bad losers, they simply don’t have confidence in the system.
For me, personally, ‘JUDIOCRACY’- enthronement of political appointees by judges is simply unacceptable.