Timothy Yahaya, the Anglican Bishop of Kaduna Diocese has urged the Nigerian Judicial to ensure that court cases on the last presidential election are concluded before the May 29, 2023 swearing in date.
He said Nigerians are already feeling that the some judges are deliberately slowing down proceedings on the petitions before them.
Are the judges delaying because they want to “collect allowances? Are we delaying because corruption has eaten everything?:he said.
By dispensing with the petitions speedily will ensue that the wrong presidential candidate is not sworn in as president.
He cited Kenyan for instance, where all court cases arising from the presidential election in that country were concluded before President Ruto was sworn in as its leader.
The Bishop stated that 30 days are enough for the judiciary to take care on the petitions of those that have gone to cut to seek redress.
Bishop Yahaya stated this while addressing journalists after his Easter message in Kaduna on Sunday.
He suggested that some judges may be waiting to be bribed before giving judgement on the cases before them, adding that the period between February when the presidential election was conducted and May 29 was enough to deal with the election disputes.
The Bishop said, “What is wrong with Nigeria? Are we delaying because we want to collect allowances? Are we delaying because corruption has eaten everything? There is nothing difficult about this case; in less than 30 days, we can dispense with this case.
“The election was finished in February, swearing in will be by the end of May, and yet the cases have not been heard. For me, what is not in the Nigerian constitution is not in the Nigerian constitution.
“I know Nigeria is a wonderful country where there is a doctrine of necessity. How necessary is that doctrine of necessity? Now the incoming leaders should know that the game has changed in this country.
“The people are not looking for looters; they are looking for leaders. They are looking for a leader that can lead the naira from one naira to one dollar. People are looking for security so they can open their doors in the middle of the night, and other positive things.
“This is the agenda we are setting because if merit, pragmatism, and honesty are there, Nigeria will be the greatest country in the world. Without these three ingredients, we don’t have a nation.”
The candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, are currently in court to challenge the announcement of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the keenly contested election.
The two candidates alleged that the election was rigged and massively flawed with electoral malpractice.
