The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has called on the Nigerian judiciary to uphold democracy and the rule of law in the country.
Mr Obi, who made this call in a thread on his verified X handle on Tuesday, said only the judicial arm of the government could protect Nigerians from what he described as the tyranny of dubious and duplicitous identity fraudsters.
According to him, the lofty titles that decorate people in power have little meaning if there is hollowness and falsehood underneath them.
He said: “Still on the identity crisis and controversies that have continued to haunt the Nigerian citadel of power since the February 25, 2023, presidential elections.
“There is this saying: ‘It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles’.
“The lofty titles that decorate people in power have little meaning if there is a hollowness and falsehood underneath them.
“Such titles which adorn those in public office mean nothing if they are not original and are fake if those who bear them have no honour to support the weight of the titles they carry.
“In situations where there is public doubt as to the veracity and authenticity of these titles and the claims behind them, it is the judiciary’s role, when called upon, to uphold the honour of the titles through transparent rulings.
“Only through such judicial interventions can the public be protected from the tyranny of dubious and duplicitous characters and identity fraudsters,” he added.
According to him, once ordinary people lose faith in the fairness of the judiciary, the rule of law is threatened.
He said: “The expectation by the high and low alike that their rights will be protected and respected by fair judges in transparent courts is what keeps citizens’ loyalty and belief in democracy.
“People, irrespective of their station in life, approach the courts whenever they feel their rights are assailed in the expectation that fair courts will render justice to them according to law.
“However, when the fairness of the judiciary is not assured and the transparency of judiciary operatives is uncertain, the rule of law will come under severe threat.”
