…Says 3 Judges shouldnt upturn million voters decision
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his reaction to the recent appeal court verdicts, sacking three governors in the wake of one week, faulted the decision of the Nigerians judges on the electoral disputes.
Obasanjo, while speaking at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa, which was held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, faulted what he labelled cathedral pronouncements by the judges.
According to the former president, three to five judges should not overturn decisions made by millions of voters during an election while describing the powers vested in the hands of a few judges as totally unacceptable.
Recall that only last week, three governors were sacked in separate judgements delivered by the judges of the Court of Appeal. The affected governors are Dauda Lawal, of Zamfara State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in Kano, and Caleb Mutfwang, of Plateau State.
The decisions have triggered reactions, earning the Judiciary more knocks than kudos.
Obasanjo said, I believe whatever form of democracy we have or whatever system of government we have, three or four men in the judiciary should not be able to overturn the decisions of millions that have voted. Now, we have to find a way to handle that. I dont know what the way will be, but, for me, I think its totally unacceptable that millions (of votes), maybe 10m on one side, perhaps 9 million on the other side. Then, you have five people sitting down; three of them agree, two disagree. And you come up and make cathedral pronouncements that cannot be changed; I believe that should not be accepted.
