I COMMEND THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL (NJC) FOR ISSUING THE POLICY DIRECTION ON POLITICAL AND ELECTION RELATED CASES TO REGULATE OUR COURTS. | EWENODE O. WILLIAM ESQ.

 

Without reservation, I wish to commend the National Judicial Council (NJC) for issuing the Policy Direction on Political and Election-related cases to the heads of courts across Nigeria to regulate and guide our courts from creating confusion arising from orders of the court being sought by litigants in this electioneering period.

It would be recalled that the secretary to the NJC, Soji Oye Esq., recently released the Policy Direction on Political and Election-related cases to the various heads of courts across Nigeria.

Nigerians are aware of the antics of some members of the political class including some legal practitioners who derive pleasure in engaging in forum shopping and moving courts of co-ordinate jurisdictions to issue orders and counter orders thereby creating unwarranted confusion in the judicial system.

This NJC Policy Direction is predicated on NJC's concern by the litigation of political suits at different courts of co-ordinate jurisdiction across the nation resulting in conflicting orders on the same issue and facts.

I must commend this timely intervention of the NJC ably led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Dr. Justice I. T. Muhammad, CFR for taking this bold decision to nip in the bud any ugly situation that could truncate our nascent democracy arising from political cases.

I enjoin all the stakeholders in the administration of the justice delivery system to eschew the temptation of being used by the few unscrupulous politicians to cause a crisis in Nigeria through conflicting court orders.

I further request NJC to bite any of its erring officers that will be found wanting henceforth.

It is my hope that we shall get it right henceforth.

EWENODE O. WILLIAM ESQ.

Immediate Past NBA National Asst. Secretary.