Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says he
will not join his colleagues to “rubbish” the integrity of Nigerian courts.
Speaking on Sunday in an interview with Channels Television,
Falana said Nigerian courts are capable of delivering justice in
election-related matters.
Recently, some politicians and legal practitioners have
raised doubts about the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary to dispense justice
in the presidential election petitions filed by the Labour Party (LP) and
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against the victory of Bola Tinubu, the
president-elect.
There have also been calls for the proceedings of the
tribunal to be televised.
Speaking on the development, the human rights advocate said
he will not embark on the “fallacy of generalisation” by condemning the
judiciary.
“I’m not going to join some of my colleagues who are
rubbishing the court. I go to court on a daily basis. If I have a problem with
any court or any judge for that matter, what I’m required to do is to write a
petition to the National Judicial Council,” he said.
“But I cannot for goodness sake embark on what I called a
fallacy of generalisation to say ‘Oh, Nigerian courts are bad, Nigerian judges
will not dispense justice’.
“For me, once you prepare your case, I don’t think there
should be any cause for alarm. Elections have been annulled in Nigeria by our
courts.
“Our courts have ordered rerun elections. One of them, I
think the case of Buhari and Yar’Adua; the president-elect then escaped
narrowly. It was a decision of four to three justices of the supreme court… the
elections of 2007, the winner of the election, the late President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua, did say the election was highly flawed. In some of the states, not
less than five elections were annulled and rerun elections were ordered.
Falana expressed his support for the calls to televise the
tribunal proceedings, adding that it will enhance the credibility of the
judiciary.
“I have always campaigned for that. That is the trend in
Africa — in Ghana and Kenya — the proceedings are televised because judges
should have nothing to hide,” he added.
“Invite the media and
members of the public. Once there is order in the court, everybody should be
part of it because we were all part of the election.
“So the decision of the court on the election should not be shrouded in secrecy. For that reason, I support the call by the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), that the proceedings should be televised. It is in the interest of our judges, and the public.”
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A very good request. Thank you Sir
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