Justice for sale, but to highest bidder in Kaduna

By Gora Albehu Dauda

The scene, a Federal High Court in Kaduna where 2 political cases were entertained by the same High Court judge very recently. In one of the cases between 2 PDP litigants, the same judge delivered judgement based on the arguments and.eviidences before the court. He ordered that the PDP primaries, being the contentious issue be repeated within a period of time. There is no gainsaying the fact that he had jurisdictions ction.to hear the case which he patiently did.

In the other case between Hon. Shaaban and Sen Uba Sani, all of the ruling APC, as to whether or not Valid and verifiable Primaries were conducted which eventually threw up Sen Uba Sani as APC governorship candidate, the trial judge had his tail firmly much in the manner of a scared dog in between his legs. He listened to all.the arguments and had received all the evidences after which he gave a date for judgement to be delivered.

The evidence pointing to the.fact that justice which was expected of him based on the arguments of the legal minds for or against would not.fly.was evinced by the serial shifting of the date for the judgement as well is timings.

When eventually the court sat, the trial judge rather than delivering the judgement having wasted the time of almost everyone including some.of us curious onlookers and listeners recoiled and delivered instead a ruling to the substance of which was that he lacked jurisdiction. Even to laymen as Yours Sincerely this was laughable. Where did this judge derive the jurisdiction to have entertained the PDP case but not that of the APC? Ought not that which is meat for the goose also be meat for the gander? Very sadly, the axiom that the Judiciary is the last bus stop for the common man was raped to death in this case. Should the judge now in the dock of public opinion stand before a giant mirror and look up the image reflected by the mirror, he will not like the grotesque picture of himself.

Nigerian political History is replete with cases of gruesome murder of justice not any different from.the travesty which took place at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

This makes me recall similar political murder of justice during the sunset years of General Ibrahim Babangida in the case another Evil.genuise going by the name of Arthur Nzeribe who created the Association For Better Nigeria ( ABN).

In that political/judicial episode and in a High Court in far away Calabar, Justice Bassey Ikpeme delivered the judgement that annulled the now famous June 12 elections which finally many now know Moshood Abiola won. The judgement was delivered in an empty courthouse at MIDNIGHT and from that imfamy, Justice Bassey Ikpeme acquire a new name ” The Midnight judge”. With that, she retired into virtual pariah status until the Angels went calling in far away Germany.

Her remains had to be flown in at night as if a reminiscence of the time of day she delivered her infamous judgement.

The serial procrastination of the High Court Judge in the Kaduna case made some of us to wonder if the Calabar scenario would not be repeated here. If there was a scale with which to weigh the moral standing of some of our judges, am afraid that many will be found most unworthy to seat in judgement over others.

This is only prelude as to what will happen in the post election season that is if the 2023 elections does happen. The judicial council obviously would need to focus her very bright search lights on some of these judges who clearly have proven by their actions or inactions unfit to wear the wig. To God Be The Glory.

Gora Albehu Dauda is a political affairs analyst and.writes from Kaduna, Nigeria