A’Court Judgement: Judges Will End Democracy In Nigeria – NNPP

The Chairman, Kano State chapter of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa had urged judges to fear God and know that there is hereafter.

He also appealed to the lawyers not to monetize or sell their integrity, adding that democracy was coming to an end, with the judgement of some judges in the country.

The NNPP chairman was reacting to the judgment delivered by the Appeal Court against Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The judgment delivered at the Appeal Court in Abuja on Friday had sacked Governor Yusuf on the ground that he was not a valid or card-carrying member of the party.

According to Dungurawa, the Appeal Court verdict showed that Democracy is gradually coming to an end “If the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC recognized Yusuf as the party candidate, declared him the winner of the election and handed him certificate of return but the judiciary will do otherwise.”

On whether Governor Yusuf is a card-carrying member of the party, Dungurawa said, “It is INEC that is in a better position to tell you that, because this man purchased his form from INEC, he filled and returned it back. And the same INEC declared him winner after polling the highest number of total votes and was given the certificate of return.

“With this verdict, I will say sorry for Nigerian democracy. Because there is no how somebody go to his community, campaign and people gave him their mandate and will get a popular vote but at the end of the day, the judges will do something else.

“You see in democracy, it is a game of numbers. There is no how people will go and cast their votes in millions and then a judge will just come overnight and cancel the votes and then another comes and says he has no powers to cancel the votes then go ahead to say you don’t have a card-carrying member of the party. We are talking about membership, if that is a case, how did INEC recognize the person that contests under the platform and say is the winner after scoring so and so number of votes. And went ahead to give him certificate of return. And even the judges sworn him into the office. And now they are coming to tell us another story. This is shameful in democracy. And how can you do such in a state like Kano where won 26 out of 40 seats in the state assembly, we won 18 out of 24 members of House of Representatives, which story do you tell the people? That you want to apply some technical issues.

“With this kind of attitude and actions by our judges, I am very sure democracy is coming to an end. Because nobody will go and waste his time to vote for anybody in 2027 because we know at the end of the day even if you win there are some judges that will deny you that right. And that is why we are saying no to the judgment and appealing to our people to remain calm and be law-abiding. And we are going to take it to the next level where I think we have people of high integrity. And justice will be done.

“Because if this continues to happen in our courts, there is a danger.

“We urge the judges to fear God and know that there is hereafter. They should not monetize or sell their integrity.”