Breaking: Tribunal Court Endorsed Bello As The Preemptness of Nigerian Judiciary Came To Pass
Yesterday being 23rd May 2020 was the day there was a temporary setback in the anal of Kogi State.
This was the day the will of the people of Kogi State was subverted as dissenting judgement believed to be influenced by money bag and power that be went for Yahaya Bello.
However, many legal jurists have described the judgement as a trash on Nigerian Judiciary but rekindled hopes that the ruling cannot stand the test of time as either Appeal court or Supreme Court would certainly corrects the \”unfair judgement\”.
In the light of these numerous reactions from Jurists, the lead Counsel, Jibrin Sam Okutepa, to Engr Musa Wada of PDP has confidently expressed hope in the judiciary saying that Judiciary still remain the last hope of a common man.
Let us read his \’apt and meek\’ reaction:
\” I have always said that there is a great difference between judgement and justice.
I know that while judgment represents the decision of Court or Tribunal, justice may not be embodied in judgement because in all justice, there is always the truth.
In practice you always see justice and truth in dissenting judgements of courts.
While it is true that dissenting judgement does not necessarily become the judgement of the court or Tribunal, in most cases dissenting judgments represent the truth and justice of the case.
Great jurists such as lord Denning MR of blessed memory was always known with many dissenting judgments in his days on the Bench.
The House of lords in no distance future saw great wisdom, logic and justice in dissenting judgments of Lord Denning MR and their Lordships in the House of Lords eventually started approving the dissenting judgements of lord Denning MR.
That eventually shaped the judicial decisions of the House of Lords in England.
Today the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal gave split decisions in which by majority of 2/1, the petition of Musa Atayi Wada and Anor vs INEC and Ors was dismissed and the election of Gov Yahaya Bello was affirmed. I was in the Tribunal.
Listening to the dissenting judgement of the Tribunal delivered by his lordship Hon Justice Ohimai Obviaghele, I came to satisfying conclusion that the last hope of the common man is the judiciary.
The dissenting judgement was delivered in such commendable admirable fashion that it demonstrated great logic of reasoning and conclusion in line with truth and justice.
Though dissenting judgment is not the judgement of court, it gives hope of better days ahead.
Like Lord Denning, Obviaghele J delivered the dissenting judgement today with such lucidity of jurisprudence of law, logic and justice that even those who got judgement cannot in clear conscience fault the erudition in that judgement.
As counsel I salute his lordship and their lordships who delivered the majority judgement.
Between Obviaghele J and Kaigama and Baraka JJ who is correct in decision.
Only time will tell\”.
In follow up to the above reaction, Jibrin Sam Okutepa (SAN) also said: \” In the interpretation of law, I hold the strong view that it be done to give justice rather than to deny justice or in sabotage of justice.
There cannot be peace and order where justice is denied the people\”.
