Don’t Destroy The Judiciary, Action Congress Warns PDP
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has accused the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of trying to destroy the nation’s judiciary by influencing the transfer of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, to the Supreme Court.
The party urged President Goodluck Jonathan to quickly put an end to what it described as the ongoing frontal attack against the judiciary by his party, because the PDP was not happy with the ruling of the Court of Appeal in some election petition cases.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN warned that there would be far-reaching consequences for everyone if the PDP, because it is the ruling party, is allowed to use its clout to destroy the judiciary just to serve its own selfish ends.
The party said: “It is not unusual for any individual or political party to disagree with a court ruling. Such disagreement can be vented through appeal process, where possible, or other accepted civilised means.
“But to resort to downright abuse of judges and the courts, as the PDP and Senator Iyiola Omisore have been doing in the case of the Court of Appeal, is a dangerous trend that can only destroy an arm of government that is widely believed to have done more than any other to save our democracy.â€
The party said an example of the unbridled onslaught against the judiciary was the published report that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Alloysius Katsina-Alu (CJN), using the federal Judicial Service Commission, is spearheading the ‘promotion of Justice Salami, to the Supreme Court so as to replace him with someone who is believed to be pliable.
“The report said while Justice Salami is ostensibly being ‘promoted’ because he is needed to help shore up the apex court, in view of his erudition and courage, the real reason is that the PDP has become uncomfortable with the recent rulings of the Court of Appeal under his watch, especially the loss of Osun and Ekiti states to the opposition, and has thus arrived at a final solution to ease him out. This is very sad for our country.
“It is sad because, according to the published report, which has yet to be refuted, Justice Salami was neither consulted nor did he ask for the promotion – as is the tradition.
“It is sad because President Jonathan’s name is being dragged into the whole issue, as he has reportedly agreed to increase the number of the Justices on the Supreme Court just to accommodate Justice Salami. It is sad because the PDP believes that it must always receive favourable rulings from the courts, just because it is the ruling party.
“Worse still, the CJN is said to have brought forward (since the publication of the report), from March to February, the next meeting of the National Judicial Commission (NJC) at which the decision to promote Justice Salami, against his wish and in deviation from the established tradition in the judiciary, is to be endorsed.
“When these facts are placed side by side with the fact that Senator Iyiola Omisore, has been relentlessly attacking and impugning on the integrity of Justice Salami and other Court of Appeal Justices, without any word of caution from the government or any remedial action by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, it is very clear where the so-called promotion to the Supreme Court is coming from.
“We do not know how much of these developments are known to President Jonathan. But we do know that if he allows the judiciary to be destroyed under his watch, posterity will not forgive him, since the buck stops at his desk,’’ ACN said.
—Eromosele Ebhomele
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