The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joseph Ajaero, on Sunday, vowed that the labour union will create a “hall of shame” for judges that undermine the tenets of the judiciary and come up with ridiculous judgements on election petitions.
Ajaero, who spoke in Abuja at a joint briefing with members of the civil society group under Labour and Civil Society Front, stressed the need to rescue the judiciary.
The movement, comprising several civil society and youth organisations, insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission had seriously damaged the country’s democracy with its poor showing at the elections. They also vowed to name and shame corrupt leaders.
Co-conveners of the movement included Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; Comrade Shehu Sani, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Prof. Udenta Udenta, Salisu Mohammed and Olawale Okunniyi.
NLC was represented by its president, Ajaero, and Trade Union Congress had its General Secretary, Nuhu Toro in attendance.
According to the NLC boss, the judiciary has set so many states and institutions “on fire with ridiculous judgements and must answer certain questions from Nigerians”.
He said: “The judiciary has so many questions to answer, if they failed to answer those questions within a short time, we would create a hall of shame for those judges that come up with judgement for those judges that create such problems, that will happen soon. There is a need for the NBA, for all arms in the judiciary, to the bar benches, and all to speak out on what is happening in the judiciary and whether the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man.
“Now the destiny of the country is in our hands. It is either they fulfil it or they are betrayed once again, when they tell you to go to the court, they’re telling you that that is the end of the matter. Somebody will steal yam and say go to the court. On what basis are those statements being used? That’s the level of ridicule that the judiciary has brought and as Nigerians, we all need to come out to rescue the judiciary, or else there’ll be no need to continue going to court”.
Addressing journalists at the end of their meeting at Labour House, in Abuja on Sunday, the spokesperson of the Civil Society Organisations, Toyo accused Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of attempting to destroy democracy by failing to uphold the provisions of the Electoral Act and even their own set rules.
Toyo stated: “This 2023 general election became an anti-climax, dashing the hopes of Nigerians for credible elections and denying citizens the emergence of qualitative political leadership across Nigeria.
“Clearly, INEC in cahoots with some members of our political class has driven a death nail into the democratic experience of most Nigerians, thus, leaving the electorate despondent to resort to self-help in their effort to salvage whatever is left of their vibrant political engagement with the 2023 elections.
“Unfortunately, the majority of Nigerians, especially the youths, who fought with patriotism to reset their country through the ballot box, are now wondering if elections have not become the tool for legitimising the corrupt takeover of Nigeria”.
