Senior Advocate of Nigeria Jibrin Samuel Okutepa has strongly criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to affirm the election of Ahmed Usman Ododo as the governor of Kogi State. In a statement released on August 24, 2024, Okutepa argued that the court overlooked evidence of electoral fraud and manipulation on technical grounds, thereby legitimizing an allegedly illegitimate electoral process.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Okutepa stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) produced Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used in the disputed local government areas of Okene, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta, and Lokoja, pursuant to orders of the Tribunal made under paragraphs 41(1), (5), and (6) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act 2022. These machines were demonstrated in open court, and their records were presented before the three tiers of the judiciary. However, the Supreme Court reportedly disregarded this evidence because the INEC witness who produced the BVAS machines did not front-load their witness statements on oath along with the petition.
The Senior Advocate congratulated the Nigerian judiciary for having the courage to overlook the facts of electoral fraud and manipulation under legal technicalities, thereby giving judicial legitimacy to an otherwise fraudulent electoral process. He emphasized that the essence of democracy is legitimacy derived from the sovereignty of the people, not a one-man show as seen in the Nigerian brand of democracy.
Okutepa also drew attention to an incident that occurred on the premises of the Supreme Court, where the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was allegedly attacked by political hoodlums and hooligans after pursuing his grievances through legitimate channels. The attacks were reportedly carried out in the presence of Nigerian security agencies, who took no action. Okutepa criticized the lack of arrests made or statements issued by the appropriate government agencies, suggesting that the Nigerian government might have approved of the attack.
The Senior Advocate warned that Nigerians are watching the unholy conspiracy against their sovereignty and democracy, and that the seeds of anti-democracy being sown will germinate. He cautioned that those encouraging democratic barbarism will not be spared the wrath of justice from the one that delivers undiluted justice to all.
Okutepa further stated that the deprived people are watching the way the compromised systems are forcing upon them those they have rejected in the exercise of their civic responsibilities. He quoted the late Dele Giwa, saying, “No evil done by man to man will go unpunished. If not now, certainly in the future.”
The Senior Advocate emphasized that the attacks on the SDP candidate in the court premises should not be treated with levity or dismissed as normal. He called on the Nigerian Federal Government to address the desecration of the Supreme Court by political thugs and criminals attacking those who approach the courts for remedies.
Okutepa also criticized Kingsley Fawnon, the spokesperson for the Kogi State government, for justifying the attack, stating that it shows the recklessness of some functionaries in the Kogi government and the thinking of the state’s leadership under Ahmed Usman Ododo. He called on Governor Ododo to distance himself from the barbaric attacks, warning that until then, it is safe to conclude that Fawnon spoke on his behalf and at his instance.
In conclusion, Okutepa warned that given the seeming conspiracies by the institutions of governance to legitimize illegitimate processes, Nigerian democracy is heading towards calamity. He stated that Nigeria is on the road to perdition and that the only way to save Nigerian democracy is for the judiciary to stop ignoring facts of fraudulent electoral processes and to refrain from legitimizing flawed electoral processes that produce winners.
