Stakeholders have raised questions about the impartiality of the judiciary and its role in ensuring fairness in justice delivery in Plateau State.
The national coordinator of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, who stated this while addressing in Abuja, yesterday, underscored the importance of restoring public confidence in the judiciary by adhering to the principles of fairness in justice delivery in Plateau State.
Onwubiko also stressed the significance of educating the public about the role and functioning of the judiciary to foster a better understanding of its importance in Nigeria’s democracy.
He reaffirmed HURIWA’s commitment to the rule of law, democracy and justice.
“We pledge to monitor developments in Plateau State and across the nation to ensure that the rights of the people are upheld. We also call on all stakeholders, including the judiciary, political parties, and the public, to work together to protect and uphold the values that define Nigeria as a nation,” he said.
He expressed deep concerns over what appears to be a coordinated effort to issue contradictory judgments.
Onwubiko said these concerns go beyond post-election matters and extend to pre-election cases, which he said, according to established legal precedent, should not be revisited at the appellate level.
He said, “In some instances where the APC came second, PDP candidates were removed, and the certificate of return was given to the APC, while in other cases where the APC came third or lower, the courts ordered a rerun. We consider this inconsistency alarming and believe it raises suspicion of bias.”
In response to these developments, he called for an immediate halt to the perceived systematic use of the judiciary to favour any political party in Plateau State.