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Today, the Judiciary took it upon itself to turn Nigeria space to a Law degree class, to teach Nigerians the nitty-gritty of law and justice. It was like Legal System 101. The unprecedented decision of the Tribunal did more than just delivering a judgement, it reset so many loose bolts.
There is no doubt that the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as delivered on the 6th of September 2023 was detailed and so detailed to be faulted by anybody except ofcourse by those who are still hellbent on poke their eyes where they can only see nothing. All eyes were truly on the judiciary but what we saw was justice, fairness and succinct interpretation of our laws.
This is probably the first time in the history of this country that the Judiciary would allow for live transmission of it’s proceeding, especially on judgement delivery. It was a clear demonstration of transparency and a judicious attempt to allow Nigerians see things for themselves on how Judiciary works. Had this not been done and a verdict was reached, it would have been easy for reactionary elements to aggravate their needless blackmail against the judiciary as though the tribunal just reached a verdict without material facts. Today will be remembered for good in the life of election petition and judiciary as a whole.
Aside the affirmative declaration of this judgement in favour of the person who truly won the presidential election and was duly returned, the Judiciary (through the Tribunal) has just proved itself as credible, transparent, ethical, fair and just. The live transmission of the judgement proceeding doused alot of tension. It exposed and weakened the potentially violent “lay men” who might have wanted to foment trouble had the judgement gone this way without the general public seeing the ethical and detailed delivery of the judgement real time. The faultless dispensation of justice today as witnessed in the judgement dazed even the poking eyes to slumber. The eyes of the camera was rather on them as they drool in snoring.
Justice is neither sentimental nor emotional. Justice is justice and it is always a product of law as it and not as it should be.
I must assert that the live transmission of the judgement proceeding being watched by the general public would have brought to the reasonable senses of those who might not understand how the Tribunal came to it’s verdict. The bit by bit reading with authorities and explanations to back up the final verdict is soothing to ethical legal professionals and will make it difficult for any nay sayer to dispute. The facts were too incontrovertible and impeccable to dispute. The learned Justices literally “called” everyone to Bar today. It was a judgement properly so delivered.
