A Lagos-based human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, has chided governors who recently won their electoral cases at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, for attributing their legal victory to President Bola Tinubu’s “neutrality”, saying their action was a distrust for the independence and impartiality of the nation’s Judiciary.
Effiong, who is also a social commentator, described as ridiculous the resort to praising President Tinubu for the favourable judgements obtained from the Supreme Court by the governors, wondering whether the Justices of the apex Court were answerable to the President.
LEADERSHIP recalls that about eight governors’ electoral victory in the March 18, 2023 governorship elections were either affirmed or restored by the Supreme Court last week, dousing tension in places like Kano, Plateau and Zamfara States.
In their separate reactions to the development, some of the victorious governors praised President Tinubu for what they called his ‘neutrality’ and allowing the Judiciary to decide the matters without interference.
However, taking to his Facebook page on Tuesday, the litigation lawyer lambasted the governors, pointing out that their “patronizing comments” were needless, sickening, upsetting and scandalous.
Effiong wrote: “These governors who are all over the place praising President Tinubu for not interfering with the decisions of the Supreme Court, or for the outcome of the gubernatorial appeals at the Supreme Court are invariably saying that they do not have confidence in the Apex Court.
“They are telling us that they do not trust the independence and impartiality of the Judiciary.
“It is ridiculous that Tinubu is the one being praised for the judgments of the Supreme Court. Are Justices of the Apex Court answerable to the President?
“The patronizing comments by the victorious governors are sickening and upsetting. This is not how to entrench confidence in our institutions. They are scandalizing the Justices with their needless praises of Tinubu.”
