By Jubrin Okutepa, SAN
When the fruits of the seeds of injustice being planted in judgments by Nigerian courts in aid of electoral frauds germinate sooner or later, all those who planted the seeds in judgments may not escape the calamitous end of our democracy.
To hold that subpoenaed witnesses cannot testify in election petitions either orally or by written form is indeed a recipe for anarchy and destruction of Nigerian democracy.
The institution that has responsibility to aid justice cannot continue to mount judicial road blocks for attaining that justice on the arid altar of technicality. Stolen evidence we are told is admissible. Electoral Act 2022 makes Evidence Act applicable in the hearing and determination of election petitions.
Subpoena is one of the ways to get evidence under the Evidence Act. What a country of absurdities.
Then no need to seek justice in court. INEC does not release documents before election petitions are filed. Justice is being slaughtered on the altar of undue legal technicality in our electoral jurisprudence by our courts and the judex are just behaving and playing the ostrich?. Too Sad.
