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From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Chief Simon Okeke has expressed concerns over delayed judgment delivery by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
The ex-police boss who noted that delay is dangerous quoted some legal luminaries who had previously stated that the judgment could be delivered much faster than being experienced now in the country.
Chief Okeke who addressed journalists at his Amichi residence in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State said all eyes are now on the judiciary, adding that Nigerians would not welcome any miscarriage of justice.
“The election was so clear that the blind saw it and the deaf heard what happened. We are not talking about annulment but if the truth brings about the cancellation, so be it.
“If the February 25 presidential election is cancelled by the tribunal for a rerun, that will be unfair to the person who clearly won the election.
“But in the event of a rerun, the presidential election must not be conducted by the present Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as constituted under Yakubu Mahmood as Chairman. There should be an ad-hoc electoral body to conduct the election with international observers on ground.
“If the truth is not told, that will be a dangerous precedent. If you grab something and run away, the owner will come and collect it. If the truth is not told, it means justice is running away.
“I call the attention of the judges to Isaiah 5:22-23 which condemns denying justice to the innocent while acquitting the guilty. I advise that justice should be upheld to avoid the curse that could follow. The whole world is watching Nigeria.“For the first time the youth voted and the INEC assured that nothing would derail the process, but lo and behold. The youth have been very calm because they are full of expectations that justice will prevail. I admire that. But let us not think there is no limit they can wait.
“That the sea is calm does not mean there are no crocodiles in it. The level of bribery and corruption going on in this country is frightening. This is a limit that we can allow corruption. A lot should be done to improve the image of this country, “ he said.
On the recent ministerial appointments, Chief Okeke insisted that each zone should have an equal number of appointments like others to avoid injustice.
He said that the South East zone had five ministerial appointments while some other zones had more, saying that did not reflect justice and fair play. He said he did not even know some of the appointees from the South East zone.
“There is a need to review the way appointments are made in this country. South East looks like a pariah zone, an attachment. Anywhere there’s no justice, there’s a tendency for lack of peace. It is emphasized every time as if the South East is just being tolerated.
“The Constitution should be amended to recognize the six geopolitical zones as equal in all appointments, to ensure that each zone has an equal number of things you are sharing. There’s inequality everywhere. There are more local government areas in many parts of the North than the South East, “ he said.
