A former Senator who represented Zamfara Central, Kabiru Marafa, says the non-interference of President Bola Tinubu in the judgement of the Supreme Court on governorship tussles has saved the country’s democracy and rekindled hope in the judiciary.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the apex court had on Friday affirmed the elections of eight governors, including Abba Yusuf of Kano, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos.
Others were governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, Alex Otti of Abia, and Bassey Out of Cross Rivers State.
Reacting to the judgement in a statement he personally signed and sent to DAILY NIGERIAN on Monday, Mr Marafa said the president and the justices of the apex court have lived up to the expectations of Nigerians.
Mr Marafa, who was the Zamfara State Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign council, commended the president for standing his grounds not to interfere with judicial processes despite all pressures to do so by party loyalists.
“It is a welcome development. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, by this singular action of non-interference in the Supreme Court judgement, saved the country’s democracy and forestalled the repeat of the 1983 scenario.
“You will recall that it was after the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) grabbed states that were hitherto of the opposition that the Second Republic collapsed,” he said.
Hailing the justices of the Supreme Court, Mr Marafa noted that posterity would judge them well for allowing the will of the Nigerian voters to prevail.
The APC chieftain explained that the outcome of the apex court decision on the governorship elections has reinforced his belief in the ability and capacity of the judiciary to right wrongs in political evolution.
He recalled a similar incident during the buildup to the 2019 general election which forced him to challenge governorship primaries conducted by the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“I protested the conduct of the kangaroo primaries and the imposition of candidates by the then Governor Abdulaziz Yari, the judiciary stood up to the occasion and delivered a landmark judgment that gave the whole state to the PDP opposition party.
“The Judiciary must be allowed to be just and fair no matter whose ox is gored, this is necessary if the political actors want democracy to endure in the country,” he said.
The former lawmaker, however, appealed to victorious governors to be magnanimous, just and fair in governing their respective states.
While congratulating Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, Mr Marafa urged him to work to justify the confidence reposed on him by the people of the state.
“I, hereby, call on the governor of our dear state, Zamfara State to collaborate with His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima and relevant security agencies to restore the much-needed peace and security in Zamfara State. Peace is what our people are yearning for and nothing more,” he said.
