Eko Hot Blog reports popular human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned the level of blackmail and intimidation of the judiciary over the 2023 presidential election petition.
Falana said that no election petition has attracted such attention in the country since colonial rule, and that the current level of intimidation is unprecedented.
He pointed out that the verdict of the tribunal is not final and that all stakeholders need to remember that the Supreme Court can still overturn whatever be the presidential tribunal’s ruling.
“I am worried that people give the impression that everything ends with the judgement of the Court of Appeal, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal,” Falana said. “Any party that loses on Wednesday still has the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court. So, what is the basis for the cheap blackmail that is going on?”
Falana noted that regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s tribunal ruling, the heavens won’t fall and the judges must not be intimidated.
“As they say, even if the heavens will fall and the heavens won’t fall anyway, the judges must not be intimidated, they must give their decision regardless of blackmail or intimidations convinced that they can justify their judgment,” Falana said.
He added that the judges are duty-bound to examine the evidence, apply the law, and deliver a decision.
“One way or the other, some will lose, some will win; but those who lose in the case and are aggrieved will have another opportunity to approach the Supreme Court and demonstrate how the Court of Appeal has erred,” Falana submitted.
Falana’s comments come as the Court of Appeal is set to deliver its verdict on the presidential election petition on Wednesday, September 6th.
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