2023 Elections: We’ll create hall of shame for corrupt judges — NLC President
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero has cautioned the Judiciary against compromising the election petition tribunals, following the just concluded 2023 general elections, threatening that the Labour and Civil Society movements may establish a ‘hall of shame’ against any judges that would jeopardise the process.
He made the threat on Sunday, during a press conference organised by the Labour, Civil Society Front in Abuja.
Recall that ahead of a new political dispensation, which will see the President Elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu inuagurated on May 29th, 2023, there are growing worries that the election petition tribunals are yet to commence sitting regarding petitions from aggrieved candidates who participated in the exercise.
Ajaero while criticising the Judiciary, alleging that it was setting the nation on fire through judgments emanating from it.
He wondered what fortune held for the youth population in the country, stressing that they had continiously fallen prey to bad governance structures.
The NLC President said, “You should know that we are there. We full ground. There is no way you will mention labour and we will not answer our father’s name. So we identify with all the views expressed here this afternoon because we believe that the mission is geared towards rescuing Nigeria and rescuing the judiciary because the judiciary is clearly down.
“The judiciary has set so many states and institutions on fire. The judiciary has set Imo state on fire and up till now, people are wondering how a person who was not a candidate of his party be declared governor? The judiciary has so many questions to answer. If they fail to answer those questions within a short time, we would create a hall of shame for those judges that come up with some judgments and that will happen soon.
“There is need for the NBA, all arms in the judiciary, to the bar benches and all to speak out on what is happening in the judiciary. Whether judiciary is still the last hope of the common man. Now the destiny of the country hangs on them. It is either they fulfil it or they betray it once again.
“That’s a lot. The acronym ‘go to the court’ these days is now shameful. When people tell you go to the court, they are telling you that that’s the end of the matter. Somebody will steal your thing and say go to the court. On what basis are those statements being used? That’s the level of ridicule that the judiciary has been brought and as Nigerians, we all need to come out to rescue the judiciary or else there’ll be no need to continue to go to court.
“The NLC identifies with this body not necessarily on political basis, but in order to rescue this country. You can see the youths struggling these days to see whether they can make impact. You can see that there’s a curve between those governance and the yout. There is no connection anywhere.
“There is no hope for the youths, so it is time to look at it. It’s not just hope politically. What hope do they have that when they finish from school, they will get a job. What is the number of vacancies declared annually? How many people graduate from school? What percentage of them get employed? So the time to rescue Nigeria is now”.
Corroborating the position of the NLC, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo on behalf of the convener of the Labour and Civil Society Front, lamented that the 2023 General Elections have taken place but its ripples and aftermath for our promising democracy have been worrisome and frightening.
According to the activist, some Nigerians, who are architects of Nigeria’s current democratic experience, being human rights leaders, political rights advocates, progressives, civil society and labour movement activists that fought the military for the restoration of democratic governance in Nigeria, have watched with utter astonishment, how the processes and procedures meant to consolidate our 24 years of democratic wins have been greatly eroded through the 2023 general elections.
She said sadly, the 2023 general elections became an anti-climax, dashing the hopes of Nigerians for credible elections and denying citizens the emergence of qualitative political leadership across Nigeria.
Her words, “Clearly, INEC in cahoot with some members of our political class have driven a death nail into the democratic experience of most Nigerians thus leaving the electorate despondent to resort to self-help in their effort to salvage whatever is left of their vibrant political engagement with the 2023 elections.
“Unfortunately, majority of Nigerians, especially the youths who fought with patriotism to reset their country through the ballot box, are now wondering if elections have not become the tool for legitimizing the corrupt takeover of Nigeria. This dark cloud of angst arising from a terribly mismanaged 2023 General Elections has jolted the confidence and hope of many Nigerians, thus propelling us as Citizens of Conscience to take the bold step of beginning to resist and mitigate the intended and unintended crisis looming over our dear country.
“Therefore, we condemn the outright manipulation of the electoral process and abdication of responsibility by INEC as it has not only destroyed trust in the democratic process, but has rewarded wrongdoing, making it possible for persons of stupendous wealth, who lack legitimacy, to become the real beneficiaries of our electoral process”
