Nigeria’s former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has called on the judiciary not to be carried away by politicians’ antics.
Jonathan expressed concern over Nigeria’s deepening political crisis and blamed court rulings, which he described as “turning the cone of justice upside down.”
Speaking at the 67th birthday celebration and 50-book presentation of renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Professor Mike Ozekhome, the former President, warned Judges not to be swayed by political antics.
While addressing the gathering, which he co-chaired alongside former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Jonathan noted that recent court judgments in political matters have thrown the country into disarray, particularly referencing a ruling that empowered a ward chairman to expel a national chairman of a political party.
He further called on the Supreme Court to revisit the decision, stressing that such actions threaten the stability of the nation’s political system.
Jonathan congratulated Ozekhome, a legal luminary, and said he is an extraordinary person with unique talents and knowledge to impact.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo hinted that he had much to say but suggested that the time was still being determined to speak out fully.
In his remarks, he described Ozekhome as an extraordinary man who passionately advocated social change.
A former chairman of the Body of Benchers (BOB), Wole Olanipekun, who reviewed Mike Ozekhome’s 50 books, described him as a political, legal scholar, human rights activist, and political commentator whose views are expressed on diverse subjects.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi urged Ozekhome to continue in efforts to build a better society.
