Julius OkorieSenior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has dished out a damning report card, submitting that the Legislative and Judiciary arms of government are unfortunately playing House Help role in our democracy.
The security agents, according him are also not left out in the ‘boy-boy’ role. The Executive according to him is having overbearing influence on the other arms of government, describing it as “Executive terrorism.”
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe made the submission while delivering his key note address at the maiden Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) roundtable held in Abuja, with his delivery centred on judicial reforms.
Okutepa who chose to hit the nail on the head, not minding that the event had political big wigs, legal luminaries and political under-takers in attendance, queried the nation’s version of democracy, describing it as government of the selected by the selected for the selected, a distance departure from Abraham Lincoln’s acceptable definition of democracy. In our own version he further said the people do not really matter.
Taking a swipe at the judiciary he wondered whether the judiciary can claim to be delivering judgments that have resemblance of justice especially in electoral matters where what matters is not the process but who wins.
The grave yard silence as he delivered his speech left no one in doubt that truth was being laid bare and that consciences were in battle just like good and evil.
His submission read in part while referring to the judiciary: “Can we in honesty say that our judiciary has given us judgements that contain justice particularly in electoral jurisprudence? You know the answer, I know the answer, you know it but scared of hearing it but I will tell you, that today we seem to have over played technicality at the expense of substantial justice and so facts of electoral frauds of stealing mandate, facts of helicopter being used to install Governors, facts of ballot box snatching and ballot box stuffing are no longer what matters, what matters is who wins, and until our judiciary and legal profession begin to retrace their steps in installing those who violated the sovereignty of the people and we are holding them accountable, the Nigerian democracy will begin to use AK47 as a weapon of installation of leadership and I think we are getting to that stage.”
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As if these were enough headache and enough worry, he further noted that it is “easier for the camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a Nigerian man or women who has been denied the right to rule his people, to get justice, concluding that the now popular submission “Go to Court” is not a plus for the judiciary because it is assumed that judgements coming out of the courts cannot be relied upon.
IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, also expressed concerns about the judiciary’s role in Nigeria’s democratic process, citing recent cases of conflicting court orders and judgments, which has led to public lack of confidence in the administration of justice.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be anarchy and rebellion in the temple of justice – conflicting courts orders/judgements by courts of coordinate jurisdiction,” Dantalle stressed.
One of the recommendations at the round table parley is the introduction of forensic technology and automation in the electoral process to enhance transparency and credibility and eliminate to some extent the influence of political wolves in the system.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
