A group known as the Benue Coalition for Democracy (BCD) has said that it received with shock and suspicion, the news of the sudden postponement of the Federal High Court’s judgment in the case instituted by former Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), challenging the APC governorship primary election in Benue State, which produced Fr Hyacinth Alia as the party’s candidate.
According to the group, as a pro-democracy organisation in pursuit of justice in all electoral matters across all political parties, it viewed the postponement of the judgment as a calculated attempt by the APC to buy more time to mount pressure on the judiciary to circumvent justice in their favour.
“This move must be resisted by all lovers of democracy and justice to protect the integrity of the judiciary and our electoral system”.
In a statement in Makurdi, the BCD Coordinator, Mr Aloysius Gbakaan, said they wondered why a court would schedule a date to deliver a judgment but on the scheduled date, come up with a claim that the judgment was not ready and could not communicate a new date to the parties.
“The Benue Coalition for Democracy is aware that a former Senator from Benue state through Mr Akutah, a member of the APC in Benue State and a staff in the Federal Ministry of Justice have been making concerted efforts to allegedly manipulate the court judgment”.
“We however, reaffirm our confidence in the judiciary as the last hope of the ordinary Nigerian, and we remain firmly optimistic that the judiciary will serve justice in the matter without the fear of intimidation or victimisation as this is the only way to strengthen our judicial and electoral systems”.
The group therefore, charged the judiciary to remain impartial and not compromise to pervert the course of justice; saying it expect a new date for judgment on the Benue governorship suit to be fixed quickly and the verdict passed.
It cautioned APC leaders in Benue and those aiding them from the presidency to desist from putting pressure on the judiciary over the law suit in question and allow justice to prevail.
The BCD also commended Nigeria’s former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation, Michael Aondokaa (SAN), for taking the noble path of seeking justice in the court of competent jurisdiction to deepen democracy in the country.
Mr Gbakaan noted that democracy thrives when citizens comply with the rule of law and the judiciary upholds its integrity, assuring that as partners in the sustenance of democratic culture, the group have confident that the judiciary will vindicate itself as a hallowed institution.
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