* Nigeria Democracy Is Under Threats *
The Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, also condemned what he described as direct assault on the judiciary.Fayose told reporters: “It should now be obvious to all Nigerians and the international community that democracy is under threat in Nigeria, and Nigerians must rise to save democracy from being truncated.
“For all intent and purposes, there is no way the Federal Government can justify the Gestapo-style and crude action of the DSS against our judiciary, the last hope of the common man. I believe they want to hide under the anti-corruption fight to blackmail and intimidate the judiciary.
“If not, have the affected judges been reported to the National Judicial Council (NJC), the body saddled with the responsibilities of investigating and sanctioning erring judges? Were the affected judges ever invited by the DSS and they refused to honour the invitation?
“I am particularly worried over Justice Walter Onnoghen. I hope this is not a plot to prevent his appointment as the next Chief Justice of the Federation just because he is from the South South region.
“Nigerians should be reminded that I raised similar alarm when this regime of impunity started with the invasion of the Akwa-Ibom State Government House, and later, the Ekiti State House of Assembly.
“I did say then that democracy in Nigeria was becoming unsafe in the hands of this APC government, and that those keeping silent because of politics might also end up in the belly of the roaring lion threatening to consume our democracy.”
“It is more worrisome that two of the judges involved, Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, ruled against the DSS and condemned its impunity in the cases of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), and retired Air Commodore, Umar Mohammed. One wonders, if upholding the rule of law by refusing to help the DSS sustain its reign of impunity has now become a criminal offence for which judges must be harassed, intimidated and arrested.”
Fayose added: “I call on all Nigerians and the international community to rise in defence of democracy and the rule of law in our country because, as it is, no one will be spared by this rampaging dictatorship. Particularly, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other stakeholders in the judiciary must not allow this to go unchallenged.”
