INJUSTICE BEGETS INJUSTICE

As Chidiogo, the great African philosopher puts it, “when you condone injustice, injustice will consume and condemn you.” The events unfolding in Nigeria where a candidate who should have been disqualified from contesting a presidential election, is now hounding the judiciary is a classic case of the above Chidiogo’s saying.

For participation in the Nigerian Presidential Elections, the Nigerian Constitution requires a minimum of a pass in the West African School Certificate Examinations. Muhammadu Buhari, a general in the Nigerian Army could not provide his certificate prior to being certified to participate in the presidential elections.

Is Muhammadu Buhari, one of the officers who were accorded preferential treatment by Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as recorded by Col. Ben Gbulie? http://www.nairaland.com/2108163/why-buhari-no-certificate-col.

Lawsuits were filed challenging the qualifications of Buhari to run for the nation’s highest office. All the suits were dismissed by the Nigerian judiciary. Justice Adeniyi Ademola was amongst the judges who dismissed these lawsuits as a favor to Buhari. In a show of ingratitude, he is being hounded for dismissing the charges against Nnamdi Kanu (the IPOB** leader).

The compromised INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) led by Prof. Attahiru Jega should have disqualified Buhari without a single lawsuit being filed by concerned citizens.

A joke making the rounds during the electioneering campaign ran thus: “Before Buhari is disqualified from contesting the Presidency, every effort must be made to locate his WASC (West African School Certificate). The Army may not have it. Since he served in the Armed Forces; the Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defence, Customs, Boko Haram, Niger Delta Militants, or even Armed Robbers may have it. If none of these Armed Services have it, he may be disqualified.”

Buhari has a history of inciting violence whenever he loses an election. These are prosecutable offenses, but the sacred cow was not even questioned, let alone being prosecuted. Maybe the ICC (International Criminal Court) should prosecute him before he withdraws Nigeria from the ICC treaty as did South Africa, Burundi, and Gambia. Kenya is also mulling a withdrawal following the prosecution of her President and Vice President by the ICC.

The ICC brought this on itself by failing to prosecute Western war criminals. Some sanctimonious Western nations are so criminal-free that they have refused to ratify the treaty. There lies the paradox. If you are criminal-free, you should ratify before any other nation.

The same happens when Buhari’s cows tramples his neighbor’s farms. His cows are not prosecuted. Fulani cow herders are now claiming immunity from prosecution. What is good for Buhari’s cows is good for all Fulani cows.

He has violated the constitution in his nepotistic appointments and the judiciary is sitting on the case. The section on federal character is unambiguous but Buhari’s major appointments are of an Islamic, kastinic (Kastina State), and familial character. Change should begin in the Aso Rock Presidential Residence or in the APC (Assured Phony Change, Association of Present Criminals, Another Platform for Corruption)

Buhari has a history of avoiding prosecution. He was also not prosecuted for the financial losses during his tenure as head of the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) in the 1970’s nor was he prosecuted for financial malfeasance as head of the PTF (Petroleum Trust Fund) in the 1990’s.

When you uphold injustice, injustice will one day upend you. Nigerian judges and lawyers (judges-in-waiting) have themselves to blame for their present woes. It is not too late for the judiciary to change its ways. If they are underpaid, a lawsuit can fix that. Ask me how? No democracy or it democrazy (Fela) can survive without a vibrant, upright, and incorruptible judiciary. There must always be a few bad eggs in the judiciary, but the good eggs will obliterate their judicial malfeasance.

**IPOB (Indigenous Peoples of Biafra).