Posted by The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has been urged by the coalition of Ethnic Nationalities to recognize that it is responsible for safeguarding and advancing the interests of the judiciary for all Nigerians, regardless of differences.
The coalition warned that the trend must end, alleging that politicians were willfully disobeying court orders and mocking the authority of the judicial system.
The Coalition stated in a statement that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) must recognize its obligation to safeguard and advance the interests of the judiciary. Politicians are purposefully disobeying court orders, which makes them laugh at the legitimacy of the judicial system. This needs to stop.
The statement was jointly released by Israel Uwejeyan, President of the iger Delta Youth Congress, Eric Oluwole, President of the Yoruba Youths Council, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youths Council, and National President of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima.
The coalition demanded Dauda Lawal, a former PDP governorship candidate, be arrested for organizing a rally after a court of competent jurisdiction ruled that he and all other candidates in the most recent primary elections were ineligible.
The group expressed shock at the development and claimed that continuing the rally in spite of the court’s decision was a breach of decorum, an abuse of the court’s decision, and a classic case of court contempt.
Aishatu Binani and Emmanuel Bwacha were the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidates for Taraba and Adamawa States, respectively, after their respective primaries were initially declared invalid by the court. The candidates immediately halted their rallies and went on to the Court of Appeal, where they successfully argued their cases.
The group asserted that it had learned that the former PDP candidate had boasted of having meetings with the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police (CP) before leaving for the rally. It claimed that this could be the reason why the CP failed to act appropriately by looking into and sanctioning Dauda Lawal, and it claimed that it had reason to believe that the CP is compromised.
In the communiqué, it was urged that the Zamfara PDP governorship candidate not be spared, as his arrest should serve as a warning to others that no Nigerian citizen should regard themselves as above the law, especially in a democracy.
It urged INEC to take into account disqualifying PDP candidate Dauda Lawal on the basis of sponsoring thuggery for the physical assault and harm of innocent Zamfara people as well as the destruction of billboards.
The communique advised the Director-General of DSS in Abuja to replace the Zamfara DSS boss for alleged compromise as well as the Inspector-General of Police to replace the current Chief of Police of Zamfara due to the alleged aloofness of the police in the State on a matter that requires the immediate arrest of Malam Dauda Lawal.
According to the communique, there is no justification for the violence unleashed by the thugs in a fragile state like Zamfara unless there is a deliberate plot to reverse the gains made by Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle in the fight against insecurity.