The Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) has said that it supports the decision to challenge the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, insisting that the judgment of the Tribunal “represents nothing short of the complete shredding of our cherished Nigerian constitutional democracy.”
The Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar respectively, and their parties have indicated their resolve to challenge the judgment of the Tribunal which dismissed their petitions at the apex Court.
The NACJD, in its statement by Prof. Eddie Oparaoji and Chijike K Ndukwu, supporting the decisions to proceed to the Supreme Court, called on “the Chief Justice of Nigeria and every member of the Nigerian Supreme Court to understand that Nigerians and the world will be watching their every move closely as these cases progress.”
According to the statement titled “The Shredding of Justice – A Nation Betrayed,” the Washington DC, United States of America (USA)-based group said “the judges disregarded the fundamental principles of justice and fairness. They also thrashed a precedent set by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“They have forcefully imposed their mere opinions on a settled law in Nigeria, leading us down a treacherous path of judicial chaos. We must remind these judges, as well as retired justice Mary Odili, that they have embraced the legacy of Judge Sisamnes. Their actions echo the ignominious deeds of those who prioritize personal gains over the sanctity of justice; as King Cambyses II of Persia judged Judge Sisamnes, so shall history judge them.”
Insisting that the group “vehemently” disagrees with the judges of the tribunal, “whose shaky voices read a judgment that signified compromise and duress,” NACJD noted: “that these five judges could turn the Nigerian Constitution and her settled Law upside down is a grave warning that we must now rise to the difficult task of rescuing Nigeria from the clutches of narcissists.”
NACJD urged all Nigerians to stand together “resolute and fearless” in pursuit of justice and democracy, stressing that the future of the country is at stake. “Let us prove that Nigerians cannot be broken, that we will not be silenced, and that our resolve is unshakable. Nigeria shall rise!”
