Appeal Court’s ambush of Kogi Governorship Tribunal is judicial radicalism, injurious to democracy – Kogi group

The leadership of Uja’Ache Citizens’ Mandate, a socio – political Organisation based in Kogi State, has called on concerned Nigerians to save the nation’s democracy from being truncated by judicial radicalism.

In a Communique issued after an emergency meeting of the Mandate Group to newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, on Saturday, it called on concerned Nigerian democrats to strongly condemn ‘the middle of the road judgement by Appeal Court’ and its ambush on Kogi Governorship Tribunal, in its ongoing effort on Nov. 11th Governorship election issues, to deliver justice to the people of Kogi State.

The Uja’Ache Mandate Group and its Communique delivered by its President, Alh. Idris Isah, has lamented the miscarriage of justice by an Appeal Court ridiculously withdrawing the Tribunal’s Mandate and power of granting an exparte Order, a statutory order it issued on 25th Nov. 2024, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Alh. Murtala Yakubu Ajaka to conduct Forensic Inspection of electoral materials including BVAS used in the Governorship Election of Nov. 11th 2023 in the state.

Isah said, “The grandstanding posture of the highly respected Appeal Court is probably a reaffirmation to Nigerians, a travesty of justice it serially anchored on Governorship Tribunal cases in states as recently witnessed in Kano, Plateau and Nasarawa states and now replicated in Kogi State, which is giving an impression of, justice to the highest bidder”.

“In the aforementioned cases, the Supreme Court was left with the temptations and challenges of been proactive to clean the messes, by delivering justices in those states, which amply restored the peoples’ trusts and hope in the nation’s democracy”.

“The question agitating the minds of the people of Kogi State and Nigerians, is, while an official invitations by the Kogi Governorship Tribunal to all parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and All Progressive Congress (APC) and their candidates to officially partake in the inspections of electoral materials including BVAS used on Nov. 11th Governorship election in Kogi State, as was done, was the Tribunal appropriately empowered to compel any candidate and its legal team to partake, as Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo readily declined and absconded from the conduct?

“Why the desperation by the Appeal Court and not waiting for the outcome of Tribunal judgement that must likely come to its table for further adjudication?”

“What are the set limits of the inspection breached in paragraphs ‘g’, ‘k’ and ‘n’ by the experte Order of the Tribunal that could not wait for the udgement, but instead, it was mobbed by Appeal Court midway to justice delivery by the tribunal Court?

“Why deliberately and persistently set the Appeal Court to avoidable ridicules and a laughing stock before Nigerians and international community by ambushing tribunals to do its bidding in the case of Kogi and others before it?.

It goes beyond doubt that the judgement delivered by a three man justices of Appeal Court, led by Justice JOK Oyewole with Justices AI Banjoko and AB Mohammed, mid way into the Kogi Governorship Tribunal siting in Abuja over the Nov. 11th, 2023 election, revoking the statutory exparte Order granted the SDP party and its candidate that inspected the INEC electoral materials, while Gov. Usman Ododo and his legal team were duly invited, but declined participation, amounts to flexing of muscle by Appeal Court and cawing the tribunal to sit justice on its head”.

“It is high time we remind the judiciary that, democracy is on trial once again and Kogi citizens, Nigerians and international community are eagerly watching to see, if it will safeguard the nation’s democracy or scuttle it by delivering justices to those that have their facts and evidences or to the highest bidders’.

“However, any deliberate attempt to succumb to the art of a publicly scandalous former Governor, Yahaya Bello and his proxy Governor, Usman Ododo and be used as cannon folder, would amount to miscarriage of Justice that will set Kogi State on fire as people must demand for justice”.

“The ongoing drama in Appeal Court over Kogi Governorship Tribunal, therefore, unambiguously explains the hide and seek game by some security agencies and the lacklustre effort of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to bring former Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello to justice for the heinous crimes committed against the people of Kogi State in the last eight years.

Bello raped and milked the state dry, which is known to every jack and harry, including the EFCC”.

“The world is also watching the EFCC and Yahaya Adoza Bello’s hide and seek game, who since he handed over power to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, his stooge on 27th Jan. 2024, he Yahaya, Bello is in his hiding place and comfort at Kogi Government House, Lokoja, on Kogi tax payers’ resources, is challenging the EFCC to dare him on his transparently clear case of ten billion naira (N10 bn) money laundering case standing against him, his cousin Ali Bello and their accomplices, beside many other heinous crimes on record against him”.

On how long the hide and seek game between EFCC and Yahaya Adoza Bello will last, time will tell.