“Nigeria’s Democracy Is Government Of The Judiciary, By The Judiciary, For The Judiciary” – Bode George

By Akinwale Kasali

As the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, prepares to give its verdict on the February 25th, 2023, Wednesday September 6th, 2023, Olabode George,  former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised concerns over the role of the Judiciary in determining election winners in Nigeria.

George said it is inappropriate for the Judiciary to determine election winners as it pitches it against the people as it takes away the right of the people to determine poll winners.

He raised the concern at a press briefing held in his office in Ikoyi on Monday following the announcement by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja that it would deliver judgment on Wednesday.

There petitioners – mainly, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the Labour Party, LP, and its Candidate, Peter Obi –

are challenging  the declaration of Bola Tinubu as the winner of the  Presidential Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

George, however, questioned why the judiciary had been making pronouncements to determine election winners rather than order INEC  to re-conduct the elections to aid the emergence of real winners.

He said, “Our country has been doing very little positively and very much negatively. In the last few days, I have been thinking as a former Military Officer and as a civilian since I have served five presidents.

“Our electoral process is shambolic, nonsensical and makes the country nosediving. It is the manipulation of the system.

“A glitch on the day of the election is unforgivable but the INEC chairman told us they were ready but with what happened, generations to come will never forgive him.

“The most contentious issue in Nigeria today is the Judiciary. It is one of the pillars of government. Is it right for the Judiciary to tell us who won or lost the election? What we understand by democracy is Government of the people by the people and for the people but in our own case it shouldn’t be Government of the judiciary by the Judiciary and for the Judiciary. Is that democratic?

“It is the will of the people that should prevail. If you discover any wrong, ask them to go back and conduct a fresh election even if it takes a hundred times. The job of the judiciary is not to tell us who lost or who won.”