Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged political leaders to stop discrediting the judiciary whenever court decisions do not favour them, warning that selective acceptance of judgments is dangerous to democracy and the rule of law.
Sani stated this on Tuesday during an interview with ARISE NEWS while reacting to the Federal High Court judgment affecting the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
The governor said politicians must learn to respect judicial decisions, whether favourable or unfavourable, adding that confidence in the courts remains central to the survival of Nigeria’s democratic system.
“For some of us that believe in democracy, rule of law, judiciary, we believe we have to be very careful. Politicising every judicial issue is not healthy for us,” he said.
Sani noted that several political actors who now criticise the judiciary had, at different times, benefited from court decisions.
He specifically cited the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who retained his governorship seat in Anambra State following a landmark judicial pronouncement.
“Many actors that are involved were also beneficiaries of judicial decisions in this country. The leader of the NDC himself, Peter Obi, benefited from a very strong judicial pronouncement when he was governor,” Sani said.
According to him, it is wrong for politicians to praise the judiciary only when they win and condemn it when judgments go against them.
“When it favours politicians, they feel the judiciary is the best place to go. When it goes against them, they feel the judiciary is the worst place to go,” he added.
The Kaduna governor acknowledged that the judiciary, like every human institution, is not perfect, but insisted that democracy can only function when citizens and political leaders respect institutions and lawful processes.
“You have to understand, if you’re a democrat, believe in the system. Believe in our judiciary. Our judiciary is not perfect. Neither is it perfect anywhere in the world. But can we have faith in the system?” he said.
Sani also dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress or President Bola Tinubu was behind the legal and internal challenges confronting opposition parties.
He said there was no evidence to support such claims, arguing instead that the opposition’s problems were largely self-inflicted.
“What is the evidence that the ruling party is involved in what is happening to them? If you ask me, sincerely speaking, it’s simply because they are only jumping from one party to another looking for just a platform to contest the election. They are not organised,” he said.
The governor maintained that instability within opposition parties was caused by internal leadership struggles, poor organisation and lack of clear ideological foundations.
He argued that political parties formed mainly as election platforms, rather than institutions built around values and ideology, would continue to face crises, divisions and legal battles.
Sani said Nigeria’s democracy would be better served if political actors strengthened party structures, respected judicial outcomes and avoided undermining public confidence in the courts whenever decisions did not align with their interests.
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