Clarify Your Statement On ‘Illegal Court Orders Issued To Truncate Democracy Would No Longer Be Tolerated’, SERAP Charges Tinubu

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to clarify the statement he made about the Nigerian judiciary during his June 12 Democracy Day speech at 7 am.

In its tweet on Monday, the group asked President Tinubu to shed light on the statement, particularly the “illegal court order”.

The group noted that it was contrary to the rule of law to describe court order as illegal or unnecessary.

“President Tinubu should clarify his statement that “unnecessary illegal orders issued to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.”

“It’s antithetical to the rule of law and judicial independence to describe any court order as “unnecessary” or “illegal”,” SERAP tweeted.

Daily Bells reports that in his 2023 Democracy Day broadcast on Monday, June 12, the president had said court orders issued to truncate Nigeria’s democracy will no longer be tolerated.

According to him, the beauty of democracy is that winners today can lose tomorrow and losers today can win elections tomorrow.

Politicians have obtained court orders to upturn the electoral victories of opponents and occupy offices. In some cases, conflicting court orders on elections have left the public confused. But the President said “illegal orders” won’t be condoned.

“For Chief MKO Abiola, the symbol of this day, in whose memory June 12 became a national holiday, democracy is eternal,” Tinubu said.

“It is about rule of law and vibrant judiciary that can be trusted to deliver justice and strengthen institutions. It has become imperative to state here that the unnecessary illegal orders issued to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.”

The President further said the recent harmonisation of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law.

“The recent harmonisation of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law, which is a critical pillar of democracy. The reform has just started.

“The democracy that will yield right dividends to the people who are the shareholders means more than just freedom of choice and right to get people into elective offices. It means social and economic justice for our people,” he said.