Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent member of the Labour Party (LP), has expressed concerns about Nigerians praising President Bola Tinubu for not influencing the Supreme Court’s judgement on the governorship seats in Plateau and Kano States.
The Supreme Court recently made a final decision on the disputed 2023 governorship elections in these states, ruling against the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, many people commended President Tinubu for not interfering or pressuring the justices to rule in favour of the APC.
However, Okonkwo disagrees with this praise and believes it reflects poorly on the integrity of the judiciary. He argues that it is inappropriate to suggest that Tinubu could have influenced the Supreme Court’s decision.
In a post on his X account on Sunday night, Okonkwo, a member of the LP, also called on the judiciary to assert its independence and regain the trust of Nigerians.
He wrote: “It’s really very sad that people are thanking the President that he decided not to take Kano and Plateau States. This is an indictment of the Judiciary as being in the pocket of the President. This means that if the President had wanted to take Kano and Plateau, he would have effortlessly directed the Judiciary to decide in a particular manner. The Judiciary must get to the level where they must assert their independence and impartiality to earn the trust and respect of Nigerians.”
