ON NASARAWA TRIBUNAL’S VERDICT

Emmanuel Abimiku contends that HURIWA’s position is uninformed

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria’s (HURIWA’s) position on the outcome of the recent ill-fated verdict of the Nasarawa State Governorship Petition Tribunal has no doubt further exposed the body for what it is.

Those who have followed HURIWA’s activities over the years know that the body is just hiding under human rights toga to advance its parochial, tribal, religious and other interests.

It’s not surprising, therefore, the organization sided the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State on the recent verdict of the governorship election petition tribunal, attacking Governor Abdullahi Sule and Justice Ibrahim Mashi, the fearless judge who rubbished the judgement of his two other colleagues in a very detailed dissenting ruling. In its usual characteristics, HURIWA issued a statement alluding religious colouration in the minority judgement read by Justice Mashi.

In the statement, HURIWA alleged that “The twist in this political saga seems to arise from the fact that Ombugadu is the sole Christian among the candidates who vied for the position, while the others are Muslims.” The body claimed that the election result was a reflection of the collective will of Nasarawa State’s diverse population, which includes traditionalists, Christians and Muslims, who exercised their democratic right to vote without regard to religious affiliation.

It also alleged efforts by Governor Sule’s camp to influence the Court of Appeal and subsequently the Supreme Court in the event the case progresses to that level. Now, let’s take HURIWA’s accusations one after the other to enable the readers evaluate them and make informed judgement from the patently jaundiced and misinformed analogies.

The self-acclaimed human rights body’s allegation accusing Governor Sule and Justice Mashi of attempt to infuse religious dimensions into the matter is laughable and smacks of mischief. The tribunal consisted of three members out of which two are Christians and one a Muslim. The two judges who were of Christian faith, Justices Ezekiel Ajayi and Chiemelie Onaga gave David Ombugadu, also a Christian, the victory which many have described as a judicial robbery. Yet Governor Sule and his party, All Progressives Congress never raised eyebrows and questioned the judgement on religious ground, but on the point of law.

In their responses shortly after the judgement, the governor took the statesman’s route by appealing to his supporters to be calm and go about their normal business. He never condemned the judges even when it was glaring that the outcome of the ruling was against him. He rather said he would fight the injustice through proper and constitutional means up to the Supreme Court to protect his mandate.

His party also toed the same line, rejecting the tribunal’s outcome, while vowing to appeal the judgement. Now, who, between HURIWA, the PDP and Ombugadu, infused religion into what’s apparently a judicial matter?

And for Justice Mashi, why is Ombugadu, PDP and HURIWA worried about a dissenting judgement? This is not the first time spilt judgements are given, there are uncountable precedents to draw from. It’s obvious that the dissenting judgement has become the PDP and Ombugadu’s albatross looking at how it was lucidly presented with judicial facts.

 There are justifiable fears in the opposition’s camp that the Mashi position will end their victory dance at the appellate court. Come to think of it, if Ombugadu and his party are sure his supposed victory at the tribunal is watertight, why are they all over the place urging Sule to accept defeat and stop proceeding to the appeal court?

HURIWA should be informed that it is PDP and its governorship candidate that introduced religion into the politics of the state in the run up to the governorship election in the state and not Governor Sule and his party. The party ignored the need for religious balance when it made Ombugadu its governorship candidate, Labaran Maku, another Christian and Ombugadu’s kinsman, campaign director general, Mike Omeri, equally a Christian, Director of Publicity, while Francis Orogu, a Christian, is the chairman.

So, it is PDP, Ombugadu and his co-travellers who sowed the seed of religious discord from the very beginning and used the narratives to enhance their electoral fortune while ignoring the consequences of same on the state’s body polity.

HURIWA’s allegation suggesting that Gov Sule intends to influence the appeal court, and subsequently the Supreme Court in the event the case progresses to that level, even when the governor’s legal team is yet to formally file its case before the appeal court, is as absurd as it is laughable.

 Abimiku writes in from Andaha,

Akwanga Local Government Area, Nasarawa State