The Archbishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has decried the involvement of the judiciary in politics.
Kukah spoke at the 8th House of Justice Summit in Kaduna, where he was keynote speaker at the weekend.
Speaking on the summit theme: ‘Electoral Accountability and Democratic Stability,’ Kakuh said it was unfortunate that the Nigerian judiciary had become entangled in politics
“I am saddened by the fact that the judiciary has now found itself being sucked into politics.
“Elections will always give us what I call unintended consequences but it is also important to understand that a contest is always a contest and you use the experience of this to prepare for the next contest,” he added.
Also speaking on the occasion, Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, called for “a judicial reform to ensure that those who will preside over electoral cases are insulated from compromise.”
He added that President Bola Tinubu must initiate an electoral reform ahead of the next general elections.
Sani said, “People are losing hope. It is important that the Federal Government led by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu immediately initiate an electoral reform programme that will correct the mistakes that have been made and also chart ways forward for the country.
“Tinubu has been a man at the forefront of the struggle for democracy. He was one of those forced into exile during the struggle for democracy, so even if the election that brought him into power has been seriously challenged and flawed, he owes it as a duty to the nation and posterity to initiate necessary electoral reform that will make 2027 election better in conduct than the recent one.
“Also, there is a need for judicial reform to ensure that those who will preside over electoral cases are insulated from compromise. People have lost hope in the executive and legislative arms of government, and now the judiciary too is fast going in that direction.
“What happened in Plateau and Kano states are serious matters that challenge the honour and integrity of the judiciary. Events unfolding in this country should be of serious concern to all of us because if we don’t have electoral accountability we cannot have national stability.”
A former military governor of Rivers State, Gen. Zamani Lekwot (retd.), submitted that there could not be democratic stability without equity, justice and respect for the votes of the people.
“Politics is like all other games, guided by rules. We have the democratic instability problems because of the gross abuse of the rules by some of the key actors, especially the elites,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, House of Justice, Gloria Ballason, said the organisation would always discuss and proffer solutions to contemporary issues in Nigeria and on the African continent.(Punch)
