The recent rulings by the Abuja Court of Appeal, sacking the Kano state governor and ordering a re-election in three LGAs of Zamfara state, have sent shockwaves across the nation. These judgments have raised serious concerns about the sanctity of the democratic process, and they challenge the very essence of democracy, disregarding the unequivocal choice of the people and undermining their electoral will and weaken the essence of representative governance.
In both states, the evidence clearly shows the people chose Abba Kabir Yusuf and Dauda Lawal as their preferred gubernatorial candidates. These men enjoyed widespread support and were undeniably the candidates who resonated most with the masses, with an overwhelming endorsement from the public even before the electoral process began. The court’s decision to nullify their mandates starkly contradicts the democratic principle of honoring the people’s choice.
It seems the courts are applying contradictory standards on election disputes. The conflicting legal precedents set by previous court rulings, exemplified by Tinubu vs. Obi case, exacerbate the ambiguity surrounding the judiciary’s role in intra-party affairs. In Obi’s case, the Court refused to interfere, saying party membership issues are internal party matters. Yet, in Kano, the court overturned Abba Kabir’s election by interfering in party membership issues. So which is it? Do the courts have jurisdiction over party matters that affect elections or not? These inconsistencies in interpreting a candidate’s membership and the jurisdiction to intervene in such matters truly undermines judicial credibility and neutrality and cast doubt on the fairness and coherence of the legal framework governing electoral disputes.
It’s imperative for the judiciary to reevaluate its role, ensuring that the democratic will of the people remains paramount and unscathed by legal inconsistencies and ambiguities.
We can only hope the Supreme Court will review these cases and make the right call to restore power to the hands of the electorate. True democracy means letting the people decide who governs them, not imposing choices through questionable rulings.
Justice must prevail!
— Halimah Sadia