A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Oladipo Olasope, says allegations by some Nigerians that the country’s judiciary has been giving wrong judgment are not true.
Speaking on the sideline of the Law Week of Ibadan Branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Ibadan, Olasope said Nigerians should not expect all judges to give the same judgment because they are different people and interprete the law from different perspectives.
“You must realise that the way I look at issue sometimes will be different from the way others look at it and this is the reason two of us can give different judgments because we do not see things the same way,” Olasope said.
He added that there was nothing therefore derogatory about judges seeing things in different perspectives.
Olasope said all the allegations and sentiments against the judiciary always came from politicians as a result of election petitions.
He said this was because politicians have seen elections into political offices as a do-or-die affair.
“This should not be. They should learn to take the judgment of the tribunal the way they are and not fight on the pages of newspapers or go to the press disparaging the judgment.
“This is not good enough.
“Perhaps it is because the money given to political office-holders in Nigeria is too much and this is why politicians see it as a do-or-die affair.
“Some politicians even after Supreme Court judgment will still be looking as if something must happen,” Olasope said.
He added that this should lead to a demand that there was the need to cut down the money of political office-holders in Nigeria.
“This should make politicians to stop seeing it as a do-or-die affair.”
The SAN urged Nigerians to always commend the judiciary and see it as doing its job.
“The judiciary has kept Nigeria’s democracy on with the bold judgments it has been delivering, and it should be commended for that,” Olasope said.
He however acknowledged that the legal profession was going through some challenges.
’But this is as a result of undue interference from the executive, and that is why the judiciary should be independent.
“So, Nigerians should stand up to fight for the judiciary and rally round it.”
Speaking at the programme also, a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Peter Ige, said it was lamentable what was now happening to the judiciary.
“It has become a dangerous thing for parties and non-parties in cases in court, particularly with regard to high-profile cases, election causes and matters, to make derogatory comments.”
Ige said the comments and conclusions reached by most commentators and some lawyers were designed to threaten, cajole and sway the adjudicators to their side.
“As leaders in the Bar, they should resist the urge to engage in such unbecoming conduct.
“It is therefore their abiding duty to promote the integrity and independence of the judiciary at all times,” he said. (NAN)
