Supreme Court Judgements: Lawyer Criticizes Governors’ Praise for ‘Non-Interference’ by Tinubu
The Supreme Court, in a series of separate judgements last Friday, addressed petitions challenging the victories of eight governors in the March 18 elections in their respective states.
Notably, Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has criticized certain Nigerian governors for lauding President Bola Tinubu’s purported non-interference in the recent Supreme Court decisions that affirmed their electoral victories.
The judgements centered around electoral disputes in eight states: Lagos, Kano, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Plateau, Abia, Cross River, and Bauchi. Originating from the election petition tribunals, the cases progressed through the Courts of Appeal to reach the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, in its rulings, upheld the elections of the eight governors, even overturning decisions by lower courts in the cases of Kano and Plateau States. Subsequent to these outcomes, some governors expressed gratitude to Mr. Tinubu for what they perceived as his hands-off approach to their legal battles.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State commended Tinubu for “remaining firm to the resolve that the judiciary should be independent,” implying that the president’s non-intervention influenced the favorable verdicts.
Similarly, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State suggested that the Supreme Court’s decision in his favor was due to President Tinubu’s non-interference during a statement at a church gathering.However, human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong challenged this narrative in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
He contended that the governors’ praise for the president insinuated a lack of confidence in the Supreme Court’s ability to deliver unbiased judgments independently.Effiong expressed his dismay, questioning whether the justices of the apex court were answerable to the president. He criticized the governors for directing their appreciation towards Tinubu instead of acknowledging the court judges who rendered the decisions, deeming their comments as patronizing and inappropriate.
In essence, Effiong argued that such actions by the governors undermine confidence in the country’s judicial institutions and suggested that they were unjustly praising Tinubu at the expense of the court’s integrity.Credit: Premium times