Former President Goodluck Jonathan has raised concerns about the role of the judiciary in the current crisis facing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He believes that recent court rulings have disrupted the natural political order and caused instability in Nigeria’s democracy.
During an event in Abuja on October 17, Jonathan pointed to a controversial court decision that led to the suspension and expulsion of the PDP’s National Chairman. He urged the Supreme Court to review this judgment, which he argues has fueled internal conflicts within the PDP and affected the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the past.
“The way things are going in this country, especially listening to the judgments being given regarding political cases, we are beginning to see that democracy in Nigeria is like a cone that is being turned upside down,” Jonathan said. “And if a cone is turned upside down it cannot be stable and at the slightest perturbation, it will fall.”
Jonathan emphasized the need for judges and lawyers to remain neutral, asserting that their impartiality is crucial for the stability of Nigeria’s political landscape.
Jonathan pointed to a specific judgment, which he described as troubling: “There is a particular judgment that has been haunting me… it simply turned the cone upside down, and if the courts don’t look back into this case, it will create so much instability in the political system that it would affect all of us.”
He shared these thoughts at the launch of 50 books by legal expert Mike Ozekhome (SAN), which marked his 67th birthday. The event drew a crowd of prominent figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Jonathan pointed to a specific judgment, which he described as troubling: “There is a particular judgment that has been haunting me… it simply turned the cone upside down, and if the courts don’t look back into this case, it will create so much instability in the political system that it would affect all of us.”
He criticized a court ruling that allowed a Ward Chairman to expel a National Chairman of a political party, calling it unnatural and misaligned with justice. “And, you cannot tell me that the Head of Department in a university, for example, can expel the Vice Chancellor. So, how can the Nigerian law tell me that a Ward Chairman can expel a national officer of a political party?”
Jonathan’s comments highlight the broader issue of political influence on the judiciary and its implications for democracy in Nigeria. His call for a more impartial legal system underscores the importance of restoring trust in judicial processes to ensure a stable political environment.
“I am appealing with the Supreme Court to revisit that judgment, because that judgment has turned the cone upside down, and the political process, the democracy, is wobbling,” Jonathan concluded.
