Legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, says separate judges, and not High Court judges, should be in charge of election petition at the tribunal.
The legal giant spoke at “the 60 Years at the Bar” held at the Alfa Belgore Hall of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD.
Chief Babalola, who said the judiciary in Nigeria needed a total overhaul, stated that for some past months, the courts had not been able to seat and decide on cases before them.
“We need a new constitution to allow all parts to develop on its own parts for rapid development.”
Speaking at the celebration, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, called on the federal government to avoid sentiments in the process of our democratic journey in Nigeria.
Bishop Kukah said upholding the provisions of democracy required selfless service which should not be sentimentally driven to foster development.
Kukah spoke on the lecture: “The Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of a New Constitutional Order”.
According to the cleric, “Most leaders have only limited development to their home town which according to him, does not project democracy.”
“I must say that Daura, in Kastina has enjoyed development over time owing to the fact that it is the home town of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari. It is disheartening to even know that even Kastina, the state as a whole, is not even close to development despite Daura being parts of its domain. This does not speak well of our democracy.”
Bishop Kukah said: “we cannot continue to run a skewed country and pretend as if we are in a democracy”, adding that Nigeria needed to grow democratically and develop politically.
The religious human right activist suggested that every federal institution must reflect what Nigeria should reflect all over the country, saying the country should not re-enforce inequality in the country.
Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, who condemned the level of corruption in Nigeria, called on President Bola Tinubu to show leadership in the area of anti- corruption.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, chairman of the occasion, said most of the people who were supposed to uphold the constitution of Nigeria are the ones undermining democracy.
“Everybody is supposed to enjoy the constitution and our democracy is also to deliver the dividends of democracy to citizens. Leadership and democracy are for character, understanding, knowledge and sacrifice, if these are not there, we are deceiving ourselves.”
Ekiti State governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, commended Afe Babalola, for providing a platform to the hopeless in the country and for what he has done to humanity.
