By Marvellous Nyang
July 26, 2024
A former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (HMRC), Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has warned of the growing closeness between judges and politicians, which he believes is eroding democratic legitimacy in Nigeria.
Speaking on the socio-political TV talk show programme “Inside Sources” with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, on Friday, Odinkalu highlighted the disturbing trend of politicians donating luxury vehicles to judicial officers to secure favorable electoral outcomes.
“Politicians tell their contenders to approach the courts after a contentious electoral process, and ‘the courts rule that they have won, democracy has won. So, judges are being used to destroy the system’,” Odinkalu stated.
He criticised the practice of politicians buying expensive vehicles for judges, saying, “It’s beyond idiotic and it is aggravating.”
“They have bought four-wheel drive for senators and members of the House of Representatives. State governors have bought four-wheel drive for their state legislators.
“They are donating four-wheel drive to the judiciary all over the country,” Odinkalu said, as he lamented that while governors continue to donate luxury vehicles to their cronies, essential public services like hospitals and schools remain underfunded.
“There are no hospitals, there are no schools, there are no roads. And so we have to buy private healthcare overseas. We have to send our children to private schools overseas.
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“We have private helipads and now we have private jets and private airstrips. We have private security also. That is the problem,” he said.
Odinkalu emphasised that true democratic reforms must start with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“This is why I have settled for INEC and the judiciary. That is where it begins,” he said.
“They have sworn in new judges of the high courts and new justices of the Appeal Court. Did you see the number of state governors who were there? The number of senior politicians who were there?
“Politicians hosting receptions for judges and the judges going because the politicians know that our votes don’t count; what counts is the votes of judges and they are deliberating courting the judges.
“This judicial walkaround on processes of legitimacy has essentially destroyed democratic legitimacy and popular legitimacy in the people as a foundation of democracy. People are wondering why we are not getting the dividends of democracy when our votes don’t matter,” Odinkalu, a human rights activist and lawyer, said.
“There are institutions we cannot afford to go bad. And I count three among those. In no particular order, INEC, the judiciary, and anti-corruption agencies. And that’s why I go hard on them in my private and public intellectual life.
“I go hard on them because these are the sentinels on the door of the people who will inflict destitution on the country or secure the country. And if we don’t make these institutions work, it is going to be impossible to save the country,” Odinkalu added.
