Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and astute advocate for transparency, accountability in governance has joined voice with many others to call for transparency by the judiciary as the hearing of the Supreme Court case against president Bola Tinubu’s victory at the 2023 general elections begins today.
Ezekwesili who made the call in a post on her X (formerly known as Twitter) handle noted that “the integrity and independence of a country’s Judiciary goes deeper than many think.”
Truth Live News reports that the Supreme Court on Monday commenced hearing of the appeal by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to file fresh evidence and nullify the ruling by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) which affirmed Bola Tinubu as winner of the last presidential election.
According to her, “It is in fact everything in a constitutional democracy and so we must not allow politicians to destroy our Judiciary without a fight.”
Citing an example she said, “take the matter of economic prosperity.
It is impossible for a people to prosper without attracting investments into their economy.”
“Do you know that Board rooms of investors everywhere place Judicial Independence and Integrity at the top of what persuades them to invest in one country and not the other?”
“Anyone who cares about Nigeria must not permit politicians to desecrate our Judiciary anymore.”
“Even more, the Judiciary itself – justices, judges, magistrates, etc – must care enough about Nigeria and her citizens, to fight off encroachment of their independence, no matter the cost or benefit to self.
She quoted Prashant Bhushan saying, “the independence of Judiciary means independence from Executive and Legislature, but not independence from accountability.”
All the rights secured to the citizens under the Constitution are worth nothing, and a mere bubble, except guaranteed to them by an independent and virtuous Judiciary”, she quoted Andrew Jackson as saying.