… as INEC releases list of accredited election observers
Mixed reactions have trailed the Federal Government’s resistance to the international community’s caution against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.
While some faulted the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government’s insistence that the issue of suspension was an internal affair of the country that should not be intefered with, others agreed with the position.
The Federal Government had cautioned the European Union, the United States and the United Kingdom, among others, on their comments, after they released separate statements, indicating that the suspension could mar the credibility of the 2019 elections.
The President, Right Monitoring Group, Mr Femi Aduwo, disagreed with the position of the Federal Government, saying the world had gone beyond that. He said, “The World has gone beyond a nation saying an issue is its internal affair. The world is now a global village and whatever happens in a country affects other countries. If there is a problem or war in Nigeria and 10 million Nigerians move to Ghana, will that not affect Ghana in one way or the other? If the European Union and United States see a potential danger in an action of the Nigerian government, they have the right to speak out.
“The Federal Government’s position is untenable. You can ask, why then do we have the ECOWAS Court? The action of Buhari justified the PDP’s position that the CJN was removed to pave the way for another Justice to constitute the Electorate Tribunal Panels and that was the first duty performed by the Acting Chief Justice.”
However, speaking with The Point on the issue, a former Secretary General of the Labour Party and a renowned legal practitioner, based in Abuja, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, said he agreed with the position of the Federal Government.
He said, “I go with the Federal Government. It is as simple as that. Both the European Union and the United States should realise that Nigeria is a sovereign nation. Nigeria’s Constitution is different from that of the United States. Recently, there was murder of a journalist in Turkey. What was the reaction of the United States to that? Where was the United States then?
“My position is that Onnoghen still remains the CJN. He is just on suspension before he clears himself on the allegations against him. All those who are sympathetic to Onnoghen should dust their law books and see what the law says. All this hullabaloo is unnecessary.”
Speaking through the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, the Federal Government had noted that as much as Nigeria welcomed prevailing interests and partnerships for successful 2019 general elections, the government would not condone unfair interference in matters that were wholly internal.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has released the names of accredited local and foreign observers for the February 16 and March 2, 2019 elections.
According to the list, obtained from INEC Headquarters in Abuja, over 50 local observers and 28 foreign observers will participate in this year’s elections.
Prominent among the local observers are the Right Monitoring Group and Action Aids.
The role of the election observers is to ensure that the election is free and fair.
Their reports after elections also guide the INEC in its preparation for future elections.
