Obi seeks strong institutions, rule of law to save democracy

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General Elections, Mr Peter Obi, has advocated stronger institutions and the rule of law to save the country’s democracy and guarantee the future of citizens.

He also stated that the greatest challenge the fledgling democracy faced was not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the judiciary’s activities in dispensing justice and administrating the rule of law.

Obi stated this in Enugu during the 5th Justice Anthony Aniagolu Memorial Lecture. He called on Nigerians of goodwill to join hands to dismantle rascality in the system and build a future that was acceptable to her citizens

Aniagolu, a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, died in 2011.

Obi stated that the future of the country was seriously threatened by the alleged compromise and transactional activities in the judiciary, stressing that urgent steps must be taken to rescue the country.

Speaking on the theme: “The Judiciary and the Future of Democracy in Nigeria”, he stated that it had become difficult for foreigners to invest in the country due to weak institutions, lack of rule of law and ravaging insecurity.

He said: “Nigeria has become a country where anything goes. There is no rule of law, there is almost no judiciary. It is a place where I can go anywhere, and they give me land. You pay into the government purse, and they issue you receipts, but the next governor will come and pull the place down without even looking at the papers. This is because there is no rule of law. You can push everybody down because there is no rule of law.

“It is impossible for people to invest in a society of such nature. Anybody calling for foreign investors must ensure security, strong institutions, and the rule of law; the absence of all these makes it impossible for foreign or even locals to invest here.

“Whenever we talk about democracy, they will say the problem is INEC. But I tell you that it is not INEC. It is the judiciary. The judiciary is the biggest threat to Nigeria. If our judiciary is effective, our businesses will thrive.

“Our judiciary has become transactional and depends on how much you pay. It has become difficult for people who don’t know people to get justice in the judiciary and, at any point in time, where the judiciary is not working, the society suffers.”

Obi, however, recalled that he had been the greatest beneficiary of the judiciary in Anambra, though adding that the judiciary then and now are not the same.

He said: “This is not to say that there are no good and courageous judges presently, but they are very few. We need to have a situation where those who are ready to protect the sanctity of the rule of law are more in number than those who will compromise it. Nigerians are suffering because those who have a voice are very few. The majority in the system are not ready to do what is right, which is seriously affecting our development.”

“In the absence of doing the right thing, the people suffer.  Conflicting court injunctions everywhere is an indication that something is wrong with the system. Members of the judiciary should review their actions and activities to know how far they have been used to help the country. When we talk about the future of our country, it revolves around rule of law. The level of rascality going on in the country is because the judiciary is compromised. If the system is not fair, we are finished. Go to prisons and see awaiting trial list of people. You will shed tears.”

On Justice Aniagolu, Obi praised him for what he stood for while alive and serving at the Supreme Court and urged other justices to emulate him.