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The ongoing fight over the Sokoto State
governorship is a crucial trial in Nigeria’s journey to true democracy,
good governance, international respect, and real development, a
non-governmental organisation, Conscience Nigeria, has said.

Tosin Adeyanju, executive director of
the organisation, said that for the first time in Nigeria’s national
history, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is firmly stepping into an
electoral judicial battle through the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The CJN’s action came after state
governor, Aliyu Wamakko of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP),
petitioned the NJC over how the panel of justices of the Appeal Court
handled the case involving a petition brought by his opponent, Maigari
Dingyadi of the Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP), challenging his
participation and victory at the May 24th, 2008 gubernatorial re-run
election.

Mr. Adeyanju commended the
incorruptibility of the Nigerian judiciary, saying that it is integral
to finding a way to manage the ‘bad loser’ habit of Nigerian
politicians.

“Were this integrity to be mortgaged
for even one second, the greed and selfishness of Nigerian politicians
will actually impede our hard-won democracy with senseless impunity,”
he said.

Stretched system

He noted that the
people of Sokoto State were very clear-minded and resolute in choosing
their governor. When Mr. Wamakko, Mr. Dingyadi, and other gubernatorial
aspirants presented themselves before the Sokoto electorate on 14th
April, 2007, the electorate chose Mr. Wamakko with conviction, said Mr.
Adeyanju.

When, by the order
of the Kaduna Court of Appeal, the candidates again presented
themselves before the Sokoto electorate on 24th May, 2008, Mr. Wamakko
was chosen again.

Mr. Adeyanju
accused Mr. Dingyadi of trying to get through the courts what he could
not persuade the Sokoto electorate to give him – and to get it on the
grounds of a false technicality.

After the 2007
election, Mr. Dingyadi complained on several grounds to the Election
Petition Tribunal. However, the tribunal turned down his claims and Mr.
Dingyadi proceeded to the Kaduna Appeal Court, which nullified the
April 2007 election and ordered a re-run election in May 2008. However,
during the May 2008 re-run election, Mr. Dingyadi again took Mr.
Wamakko to court, claiming that the order of the Appeal Court barred
Mr. Wamakko from contesting. Mr. Dingyadi ultimately lost to Mr.
Wamakko.

“Wamakko’s recent
petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC), alleging the possible
compromise of the Justices of the Appeal Court and the furore that
followed it, suggests that the system is now being stretched beyond its
elastic limits,” said Mr. Adeyanju.

The organisation also condemned the president of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu, for appearing to take
sides in the matter and called on the president of the Court of Appeal
to reconstitute the Sokoto Appeal Tribunal, filling it with “men and
women of unquestionable character,” so that justice can be served to
all parties concerned.