The All Progressives Congress, APC, said the party did not influence last week’s Supreme Court verdict in both Kano and Plateau governorship election.
The Nigerian apex court had upheld the election of Governors Abba Yusuf and Caleb Mutfwang, respectively contrary to suggestions that they would lose their appeal against an earlier judgment of the Court of Appeal which sacked them from office.
The two governors are of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
Six other governors were also affirmed by the apex court in the land mark judgment. They are; Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Bassey Otu (Cross River) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Alex Otti (Abia), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).
Following last week’s Supreme Court judgment, some persons have alleged that the two states were traded off by the ruling party.
Reacting, APC Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru, APC chieftain said the decision of the nation’s highest court was in line with the rule of law, adding that his party has accepted the verdict in good faith.
The APC chieftain who spoke on Sunday, explained that the judiciary as the bastion of rule of law has spoken, and its verdict must be respected, cautioning critics not to denigrate the nation’s temple of justice.
According to him, “The judiciary spoke and that is why we have the various tiers of the judiciary.
“You have the trial courts and then, you have the Court of Appeal.
“Thereafter, you have the Supreme Court and that is not in any way to denigrate the understanding of the learned justices who were at the various levels of adjudication systems.
“The trial court appreciated and pronounced the fact as they understood it and the same thing happened when they went to the Court of Appeal.
“Those in the final court saw it differently and of course, pronounced judgment based on the facts that were before them.
“So, it does not in any way denigrate one section of the judiciary against the other and it is in the wisdom of our founding fathers that we have these various layers of adjudication process; that first, if you err at the trial court, then, those at the higher courts may look at it and find a different understanding.”
Duru stated further: “I did not see any politics in it. I did not also see any arrangement based on that. What did happen was that at the trial court, they understood the facts differently.
“At the Court of Appeal, they also understood it, but more importantly, at the Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter in the judicial process, a different understanding was given to it and a pronouncement was made accordingly.
“Law is what it is. Law is based on law and then on facts.
“We should applaud our judiciary for again rising to the occasion and espousing the law in a way that Nigerians are confident that you can take your differences and grievances to an impartial arbiter and there will be justice dispensed in a way that is satisfactory to all parties involved.
“It is also commendable in a way that it did also suggest that even if there is the suspicion of interference in the arm of government, Friday’s ruling and exposition on the part of the judiciary also did show that they are essentially independent.”
