ABUJA: A forum for global diplomats, the United World Congress of Diplomats, UN-WCD, has called on Western countries to impose visa restrictions on Nigerian judges, who give conflicting orders regarding politics and elections in the country.
The congress particularly took exceptions to political and judicial developments in Rivers, Osun and Benue states, saying the judges and all those involved in standing the law on its head should be dealt with.
Secretary General of the Congress, Prof. Tunji Asaolu, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, said: “We have received reports from some states in Nigeria such as Rivers State, the undue interferences of judiciary workers especially judges on political issues where conflicting orders were issued by judges just to frustrate democracy.
“In Osun State, there was a conflicting state High Court order and Appeal Court judgment over the dissolution of Local Government Council Chairmen and their reinstatement and a fresh election by the state electoral empire.
“The most recent and worrisome of all is the political interference by the Benue State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, when he tried to undermine justice by granting waivers to petitioners of local government election tribunal not to pay security deposit as stipulated by law.”
“These behaviours are completely against the core objectives of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, ACDEG, which are to promote adherence, by each state party, to the universal values and principles of democracy and respect for human rights and also the principle of the rule of law premised upon the respect for, and the supremacy of the constitution and constitutional order in the political arrangements of the state parties, which is Nigeria in this case.
“The Benue State Chief Judge, the Registrar of the court, the current Senate Minority Leader, and all those who supported the actions of the Chief Judge publicly should be sanctioned and have their existing visas canceled and visa ban issued against them just as we advocated in the case of Rivers State and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials who purposely sabotaged democratic principles during elections.”
According to him, Benue State is of particular interest to the international community having been under security threats which led to the establishment of several Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps across the state.
The diplomats also implored Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, to speedily appoint an acting Chief Judge to prevent a vacuum in the judiciary and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of justice to the citizens of the state.
“Ensuring stability and continuity within the judicial system is crucial for safeguarding the rights and interests of the people.
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“And finally, we call for a total reform of the Nigerian judiciary to rebuild the confidence of Nigerians in the system,” said Asaolu.
