I had the opportunity to listen to the judgment of the PEPC presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani. I must say that the outcome was in line with my expectations.
Our quest for credible elections shall continue in spite of a judgment that seeks to justify a fraudulent, dishonest, & deceitful election. Mahmoud Yakubu was working hard to etch his name in gold but had to engage in an emergency volte face due to last-minute instructions from above. He lacks the courage to refuse such covert subversion. and is unable to atone for his sins.
At the court I saw judges who were struggling not only to read what they wrote but were eager to convince us & the International community of the efficacy of their judgment. I saw a judge for want of what to say was busy analyzing the results of each state just to massage his ego. I saw a judge who insisted that the only way to prove over voting is at the polling unit even when total votes scored by each party far exceeds the number of accredited voters in Ekiti State. I saw a judge who argued on double nomination forgetting what happened to Uche Nwosu and nomination being a pre-election matter ignoring Bayelsa state.
I saw a judge who dismissed a document downloaded from a credible website of Amazon because the person who presented it is an interested party. Ascertaining the authenticity of the document was out of the question. I saw a judge who said the Supreme Court in deciding the double nomination issue went beyond locus standi by delving into the subject matter even as it is clear to the blind and audible to the deaf that it was an orbiter dictum. I saw a judge who wittingly threw away the EU observer mission report because of its tendering process rather than its content. I saw a judge who said a serious opposition does not need INEC…and were using social media to bully her and that she was not moved.
I saw a judge who dismissed evidence from AIT, Arise Tv and Channels tv. I saw a judge who was scampering to understand what he wrote. I saw lawyers laughing at the judgment and the presiding judge cautioning them against it saying “Why are you laughing this is a serious matter”. I saw bewildered lawyers asking for copies of judgment,I saw judges who were incoherent, inarticulate, fidgety, incongruous, anxious, nervous, wittingly sarcastic, and copiously championing a cause.
My takeaways from the outcome of PEPC are as follows:
1. If you have two certificates from the same university, with different names, emblems, insignia or logos. it does not disqualify you.
2. If you are doubly nominated contrary to the electoral guidelines, it is not an offense.
3. If you are fined for nacortic /drug related offences anywhere, it doesn’t matter, you can still be president, you’re not a criminal. You are covered by the principle of double jeopardy like Abacha.
4. What is important is to win elections at all costs, including changing figures in transit. After all, in the end, INEC will only recognize the written result, no matter how mutilated it is.
5. Don’t have any iota of belief or trust any INEC official when they tell you that they will adhere to certain guidelines, in the end, they refer you to the constitution. So follow the constitution,not their guidelines.
6. The Constitution is just an ordinary piece of paper cum document , it can be twisted to suit any situation for predetermined judgments. It’s real intent can be jettisoned for a predetermined outcome.
7. Approaching the court for justice might be impracticable because no presidential election litigant will ever succeed.
Finally I leave you with the parting words of Samuel Jibrin Okutepa SAN “He said, “Judgments have been delivered. Justice is different from judgment. Nigeria shall reap the fruits of what is being doled out by those we trust to do what is right. Those who received judgments know the truth in their hearts. Those celebrating, know the truth. Truth is constant!
