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The Nigerian Consultative Forum (NCF), have come down heavily on the political parties and their candidates taking part in Anambra State Governorship election in November 6 this year for engaging in forum shopping.
The group in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital did not also spare Judges who allowed themselves to be used due to financial inducement.
They called for immediate strict sanction against those Judges to stem the tide of corruption in the Judiciary and rekindle the confidence of the people in the system.
The legal practitioners who knew that they were misleading their clients but went ahead because of the filty money and pliable corrupt system should not be spared by the disciplinary Committee of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The group in the statement signed by its National President DedeUzorAUzor, lamented that some aspirants were driven to obtain Court injunctions and judgements anywhere at all cost just to become the flagbearers of their parties.
Asking rather rhetorically if people must be Governor at all cost, the group stressed that this inordinate ambition and recourse to unorthodox means have been the bane of Nigerian polity.
NCF also expressed surprise that some Judges were ready to play ball with these corrupt group of politicians because of filthy lucre.
The NCF in the statement called for the immediate sanction on the of Jigawa State Judiciary who granted a faction of APGA judgment over Anambra State Governorship race when he knew he has no jurisdiction over the matter.
NCF said all other Judges who gave judgement in the matter fully aware that they have no jurisdiction should not also be spared by NJC.
They said the recklessness and porosity in our Judiciary were caused by the rather indifference and inertia of NJC to do its job and instil discipline in the country’s Judiciary.
“Judges should be made to know their boundaries and limitation since monumental corruption in the system have blindfolded them.
They give judgement without following due process, laid down rules and regulations.
But they had the boldness to do it because of porous nature of judiciary, where cash and carry judgments are procured , without corresponding punishment.
NJC should use these Anambra cases to rise up to its responsibility” NCF said.
The group did not also spare the legal practitioners who actually engaged in these procuring of judgements, asking NBA leadership to purge itself of corrupt members who drag the image of the profession to the mud.
NCF equally accused INEC of not being sincere, wondering why they should be in a hurry to obey judgements from courts that have no jurisdiction over a particular case but would not deploy the same speed to obey judgements of Appellate Court.
“It is obvious that some elements in INEC are corrupt and working for some political parties and politicians just like some Judges.
The group also came down heavily on the political parties for lack of justice, equity and fair play in dealing with their members especially in conducting primaries.
NCF wondered why political parties should extort huge sums of money from aspirants but will not blink eyes in disqualifying them, lamenting that this was at the core of the current crises rocking some parties in Anambra State.
NCF said: These things are happening because the institutions are week, the system is porous, the polical elites are corrupt.
If our institutions are strong, there will be no room for these abuse and rascality”
