Supreme Court ruling: Democracy destroyed in Nigeria — Labour Party

The leadership of the Labour Party said it “watched as the sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded today at the Supreme Court as it delivered its verdict.”

By Jeffrey Agbo

The Labour Party (LP) has expressed disappointment with the ruling of the Supreme Court on the appeal made by its presidential candidate in the February election, Peter Obi.

The apex court dismissed Obi’s suit for lacking in merit and upheld the verdict of the tribunal that Bola Tinubu was validly elected president.

Reacting to the court’s judgement in a statement on Thursday, the LP’s national chairman, Julius Abure, said: “The leadership of Labour Party watched as the sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded today at the Supreme Court as it delivered its verdict in the case between our party the presidential candidate and the APC presidential candidate. We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the apex Court will toe the line of an earlier judgement in spite of all the flaws associated with the judgement delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.

“Having conclusively exercised our fundamental rights as gifted to us by the laws of the land, we have no other choice but to move on. We may be disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise but we have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic of what the future holds for the nation.

“We weep for our institutions that cannot rise to the occasion and courageously defend democracy and the voices of our people.

“However, there are great lessons to be learnt. What transpired in Nigeria since the February 25 presidential election is a clear testament that our institutions are not working and that we may be sliding towards dictatorship. It is very clear that the executive has hijacked both the judiciary and the legislature. This is so unfortunate for our democracy and it is even more for the people of Nigeria.

“All what our forbearers taught us has been destroyed within a short space of time because of the unbridled ambition of a few. The founding fathers fought with their lives to achieve independence for the country. People lost their lives for the struggle to keep our democracy and all these years people have been struggling to achieve electoral and constitutional reforms. Regrettably, all of these efforts and struggles have been destroyed today.”

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The party said it got wind of the Federal Government’s alleged plan to vilify LP leaders.

“It is also pertinent to put on record that we have it on very good authority that the government may have marked some Labour Party’s key leaders, my self especially and our leader and presidential candidate Mr Peter Obi in particular for vilification, in order to suppress the party, suffocate our team, and our goal of a new Nigeria. The planned persecution, intimidation, suppression and harassment of our leaders using security agencies and all other government institutions will be definitely defended.

“We are therefore calling on all our members, and the Obidient family to be vigilant and brace up for the challenges ahead. The struggle for a New Nigeria will certainly be tortuous and hard.

“We are also calling on the international community to rise to the occasion to defend democracy in Nigeria. Your voices were loud and clear in condemnation of the outcome of the presidential election. As we approach the next stage of our democratic journey, we call on you to stand by the millions of Nigerians who are already pushed beyond their limits into unnecessary hardship and penury,” the statement noted.

The party urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the country.