Election Tribunal: NLC To Create Hall Of Shame For Judges
During a joint briefing with members of the civil society group, Labour and Civil Society Front, on Sunday, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joseph Ajaero, pledged to establish a “hall of shame” for judges who disregard the principles of the judiciary and make absurd rulings on election petitions.
Ajaero emphasized the importance of rescuing the judiciary, stating that it had been compromised and required urgent intervention. The movement comprises numerous civil society and youth organizations and has vowed to expose corrupt leaders and name and shame them. Co-conveners of the group include Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Comrade Shehu Sanni, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Professor Udenta Udenta, Salisu Mohammed, and Olawale Okunniyi.
The NLC was represented by its President, Joseph Ajaero, while the General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress, Nuhu Toro, was also in attendance. Ajaero claimed that the judiciary had caused chaos in numerous states and institutions by issuing irrational verdicts and needed to be held accountable to the Nigerian people.
He said, “The judiciary has so many questions to answer, if they failed to answer those questions within a short time, we would create a hall of shame for those judges that come up with judgement for those judges that create such problems, that will happen soon. There is a need for the NBA, for all arms in the judiciary, to the bar benches, and all to speak out on what is happening in the judiciary and whether the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man.
“Now the destiny of the country is in our hands. It is either they fulfil it or they are betrayed once again, when they tell you to go to the court, they’re telling you that that is the end of the matter. Somebody will steal yam and say go to the court. On what basis are those statements being used? That’s the level of ridicule that the judiciary has brought and as Nigerians, we all need to come out to rescue the judiciary, or else there’ll be no need to continue going to court.”
Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting at Labour House, in Abuja, yesterday, the spokesperson of the CSO, Nkoyo Toto, accused INEC of attempting to destroy democracy by failing to uphold the provisions of the Electoral Act and even their own set rules.
Toyo stated, “This 2023 general election became an anti-climax, dashing the hopes of Nigerians for credible elections and denying citizens the emergence of qualitative political leadership across Nigeria.
“Clearly, INEC in cahoots with some members of our political class has driven a death nail into the democratic experience of most Nigerians, thus, leaving the electorate despondent to resort to self-help in their effort to salvage whatever is left of their vibrant political engagement with the 2023 elections.
“Unfortunately, the majority of Nigerians, especially the youths, who fought with patriotism to reset their country through the ballot box, are now wondering if elections have not become the tool for legitimising the corrupt takeover of Nigeria,” he added.
