Presidency is considering a legal action against a private lawyer, Mr. Nnamdi Nwokocha who it said has by his press interview prejudiced public opinion against President Mohammadu Buhari for alleged lack of school certificate and declared him guilty on the pages of newspapers.
A Presidential Media Aide, Malam Garba Shehu, while reacting to Nwokocha’s press interviews, in a statement explained that “it is unfair for a lawyer who is a litigant to a case in court to go out of his way to hijack the power of a Judge by declaring the President guilty of what he is accused of.” According to Malam Shehu, “newspaper pages are not alternative courts where a lawyer can declare anybody guilty of anything when the court has not formally given a definitive judgment on an issue before it.”
He stated that “The two-pages interview splashed on pages 56-57 of ThisDay edition of Saturday June 11th breaches a lawyer’s ethical code and we hope that the court and the Bar Association will take notice of this.” The Presidential Media Aide said “any lawyer that sincerely believes in judicial process and the rights of other parties to a case would not have engaged in the inappropriate and unprofessional practice of trial by media, especially a situation where Nwokocha openly declared the President guilty when the court didn’t make that declaration.”
Malam Shehu noted that “gag orders emerged in the United States on account of lawyers’ inappropriate conduct on trying and convicting people on the pages of newspapers or the court of public opinion.” The Presidential Media Aide noted that “free speech is not synonymous with recklessness and wanton abuse of the rights other parties to a case in court.”
He also said that “The litigant’s unabashed claim that he was a card-carrying member of the opposition PDP which lost power in the last election clearly indicates a scheme that seeks power by circumventing the democratic process of elections.” Malam Garba Shehu said “if Nwokocha has not stopped his unfair and professionally inappropriate abuse of free speech, the President’s competent team of lawyers will seek the instrumentality of the law in dealing with his unethical actions.” He said “you cannot be a litigant and be a Judge at the same time.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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So the Presidency knows its not good to declare people guilty in the court of public opinion yet it does so wit careless abandon.
ReplyDeleteMallam Garbage, why all this grammar? If bros Buhari acquire/obtain/possess/get/have/had the certi bobo(WASC) make him produce/show/tender/present am naw. Abeg make him show am to Niherians Shikena!
ReplyDeleteEl-mumusky the one they showed u before d election was what? Just keep quiet must u comment on everything u see.?
Deleteso the one you see and the court is still deliberating on the case,,abeg must you reply el mumusky you are rhe one to keep let the court bring its verdict
DeleteOkay....they cannot swallow their own pills now. All the other cases the FG puts people on Media trial and proscribes guilty until proven innocent they can't take it now.
ReplyDeleteMr Umpire, it's EFCC that's flashing allegded looters on the pages of newspapers and not FG. Should you encourage the lawyer to continue being unprofessional? Beware of what you support
DeleteWhy is it difficult for your president to present the certificate?
DeleteI tire oo...why all this noise...even if you ask me to produce my waec certificate in my dream,I will bring it out,cuz I have it...so please advice your president to produce his if he has it...very simple..haba..
DeleteA pot callin a kettle black. Shame on d presidency
ReplyDeleteNa wah oh! Certificate that is just like NEPA bill, someone said present your Certificate and you now hired 12 Senior Advocate of Nigeria to defend what? Just being curious will these senior lawyers be paid from the 30 million naira declared by our presido that is if 30 million can even foot their bill, but I asked myself this question,which is cheaper? Is it to present your certificate and shame your critics or start wasting money and subject yourself to ridicule? May God help us in this part of the world.
ReplyDeleteAre they talking about Toronto certificate? Certificate na Certificate Kwo!
ReplyDelete