A lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Liborous Oshoma, has criticized the conflicting court orders emerging from Rivers State, describing them as indicative of a broader systemic problem within Nigeria’s judiciary. Speaking on the Morning Show on Arise TV, Oshoma argued that the solution to this issue lies in removing pre-election and post-election matters from the courtroom.
Oshoma expressed concerns regarding the indiscipline within the judiciary, particularly referencing remarks made by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun during her Senate confirmation as Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). He stated, “She is not the first CJN to say she will tackle indiscipline in the bench. For me, these are mere rhetorics because the problem is endemic. It is a systemic problem, and while Nigerians are generally good people, politics seems to corrupt that.”
He emphasized that the pervasive influence of politics contributes to the destruction of essential systems in the country. “The only way by which this problem can be solved is when pre-election and post-election matters are removed from the courtroom,” he asserted. By doing so, he believes politicians would lose interest in manipulating the judiciary.
Oshoma recalled past instances where conflicting judgments from different courts led to confusion. He noted that prior to constitutional amendments, petitions regarding governorship elections were limited to the Court of Appeal. However, the Supreme Court’s intervention was necessary due to the prevalence of contradictory judgments from lower courts.
Citing specific examples, he mentioned how the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt could issue one ruling while the Court of Appeal in Kaduna would arrive at a different conclusion on the same facts. He recalled the historical context, referencing Justice Ikpeme’s order in 1992 that saw governors seeking contrary orders from their respective Chief Justices.
In recent instances, Oshoma highlighted a situation where a court in Abuja granted an order that removed then-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, only for a Kano court to issue a conflicting order immediately thereafter. He drew parallels to past political disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where contradictory court orders frequently surfaced, contributing to chaos.
Oshoma suggested the implementation of an electronic docketing system in the Federal High Court to help prevent conflicting rulings. This system would ensure that once a case is filed, an administrative judge could check for similar matters before assigning the case, thus enhancing judicial consistency.
Ultimately, he lamented the reality that anything politicians touch tends to decay or rot, urging a fundamental change in the political and judicial landscape to restore faith in the country’s governance.