Open Letter To Nigerian Democratic Forces (Concluded)
· Joe Ajaero, President, Nigerian Labor Congress
NLC National Headquarters, Plot 829/821, Labor House
Central Business District, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: gsec@nlcng.org
· Festus Osifo, President, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria
TUC Headquarters, 47, Yakubu Gowon Crescent
Asokoro District, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@tucng.org, tucngq@gmail.com
· Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, President, Academic Staff Union of Universities
ASUU Headquarters, Festus Iyayi Complex, University of Abuja
Giri Campus, Airport Road, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@asuu.org.ng
· Yakubu Maikyau Esquire, President, Nigerian Bar Association
NBA House 1101, Mohammadu Buhari Way
Central Business District, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@nigerianbar.org.ng
· Dr. Uche Rowland Ojinmah, President, Nigerian Medical Association
NMA Headquarters, 8 Benghazi Street, Off Addis Ababa Crescent
Wuse Zone 4, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@nationalnma.org
· Mr. Audu Amba, President, Nigerian Union of Teachers
NUT Headquarters, National Teachers House
Off Airport Road, Lugbe, Abuja-Nigeria
· Engineer Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-Wudil, President, Nigerian Society of Engineers
NSE National Headquarters, National Engineering Centre
Labor House Road, Central Business District, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@nse.org.ng
· Mr. Chris Isiguzo, President, Nigerian Union of Journalists
NUJ National Headquarters, Jahi District, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@nuj.ng
· Mr. Atiku Abubakar, PDP’s 2023 Presidential Candidate
PDP National Headquarters, WADATA House, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: info@peoplesdemocraticparty.com.ng
· Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, Labor Party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate
The Labor Party National Headquarters, No. 2 IBM Haruna Street
Utako District, Abuja-Nigeria
Email: contact@labourparty.com.ng, poanambra@gmail.com
· Leaders Of Other Respected Local And International Pro Democracy, Rule Of Law And Human Rights Advocacy Organizations
Dear Comrades In Saving The Nigerian Democracy Project,
Nigerian Electoral Process And Public Governance Must No Longer Be Left In The Hands Of Judicial Officers, Electoral Umpire And Political Actors Alone
Enugu, Eastern Nigeria
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Petitioners:
We are the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), Nigeria; the Ekwenche Research Institute and Organization, Chicago, USA; the Civil Liberties Organization, South-East Zone; and the South-East Based Coalition of Democracy and Human Rights Organizations. Intersociety has earned local and international name and respectability in research, investigation, documentation and publications. Ekwenche Research Institute is a highly respected research institute in USA with many breakthroughs in historical, human rights, democracy and security and safety advocacy research including the “Igbo Landing of 1803 in St Simons Island, Georgia (USA)”. The South-East CLO is an offshoot of the Civil Liberties Organization, Nigeria’s premier Human Rights and Democracy Advocacy Organization formed in 1987. The South-East Based Coalition of Democracy and Human Rights Organizations is a respected coalition of over 22 advocacy groups promoting and advancing democracy and human rights in South-East Nigeria and beyond.
Haruna Tsammani (JCA) And Other 2023 PEPT Members Dragged To 70 World Leaders
Following the failure of the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led 2023 PEPT to publicly explain who actually wrote the widely condemned judgment of Sept 6, 2023 demanded in our joint-statement of Sept 11, 2023, the Five 2023 PEPT Panelists were dragged to 70 Respected World Democratic Leaders through our letters dated October 2, 2023 to 31 EU Leaders including H.E., Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, H.E., Charles Michel, the European Council President, H.E., Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President and 28 other top EU Diplomats. Petitioned also were 30 other Democratic World Leaders through our letter dated October 5, 2023 addressed to: the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS and the Ambassadors of the Netherlands, the Finland, the Poland, the Federal Republic of Germany, the France, the Spain, the Czech Republic, the Italy, the Belgium, the Denmark, the Portugal, the Republic of Greece, the Austria, the Hungary, the Bulgaria, the Slovakia and the Sweden and the High Commissioners of the Britain, the Canadian and the Australia; the Ambassadors of the United States of America, the Israel, the Royal Norway, the Ireland (High Commissioner), the Switzerland, the Brazil, the Japan, the South Korea and the Mexico.
The recipients of our letter of October 3, 2023 were the seven top UK Government officials: the Rt. Hon James Cleverly, (then) UK Foreign Secretary/MP, the Rt. Hon Andrew Mitchell, UK Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev Office/Minister for Dev and Africa) and a member of House of Commons, Rt. Hon Anne-Maria Trevelyan, UK Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev Office) and a member of House of Commons, Rt. Hon David Rutley (MP for Macclesfield), UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev Office and a member of House of Commons, Rt. Hon Leo Docherty, UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth and Dev Office and a member of House of Commons, David Patrick Paul Alton, the Lord Alton of Liverpool and a respected member of House of Lords and Dame Caroline Anne Cox, the Baroness of the House of Lords. We also wrote to Hon Justin Pierre James Trudeau PC MP, Prime Minister of Canada thro Hon Melanie Joly PC MP, Foreign Minister of Canada and two top US Diplomats in New York and Washington DC, USA through our letter dated October 8, 2023.
Our Major Grouse
We had asked the PEPT Judges to public explain: “Who Wrote The Judgments Of The 2023 PEPT In Nigeria? Where, When and How Were They Written And How Come The Imprimatur or HEADER of Tinubu’s Presidential Legal Team (TPLT) Was Found In All The 798 Pages Of The Judgment’s Certified True Copy (CTC) issued by the Presidential Election Tribunal? Apart from our letters going down memory lane with regard to the subject matter including controversies inherent in the judgment(s), we also strongly requested for comprehensive visa ban against members of Nigeria’s 2023 PEPT and their nuclear families (.i.e. wives, children and nannies) and those of them already residing or studying or holidaying or visiting or working in such Democracy enabling countries.
UK And Canadian Governments’ Replies Encouraging And Promising
The UK Government through her “Nigerian Unit” of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had on October 9, 2023 replied us (Intersociety and ors) through: No. TO2023/17959 in which the Government of UK reaffirmed as follows: “The UK is a long-term supporter of democracy in Nigeria. Throughout the elections, we communicated that anti-democratic behavior must not be met with impunity. As the Minister for Development and Africa set out in his 21 February statement on the Nigerian elections, the UK will impose visa restrictions on those who have been evidenced to undermine free and fair elections in Nigeria…” The Canadian Government had also replied through her Prime Minister’s Office mail to us dated October 19, 2023 in which the Government wrote as quoted below:”I would like to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence of October 8, 2023, sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Please be assured that your comments, offered on behalf of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (and ors) have been carefully reviewed. I note that you have also addressed your letter to (through) the Honorable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs. While the Prime Minister appreciates having been made aware of your correspondence, he will leave the issues you raised to be considered by the Foreign Minister’’. H. Hussain, Executive Correspondence Officer/Agent de la correspondence Executive Correspondence Services / Services de la correspondance de la haute direction (for Canadian Prime Minister’s Office).
We Strongly Oppose Nomination Of Justice Haruna Tsammani As JCA
By his headship of the widely condemned and strongly rejected 2023 PEPT Judgment(s), nomination of Haruna Tsammani (JCA) as a ‘Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria’ is not only strongly opposed and roundly rejected but also seen many as “a reward for a bad job well done”. His elevation to the Supreme Court of Nigeria is also capable of causing more corporate image damage(s) to what remains of the country’s international rule of law rating and integrity (if any). It is hereby our strongly and persuasive call on the petitioned democratic forces to bring the 21 other JSC nominees cutting across the country’s six geopolitical zones into strong public scrutiny and ensure that the bad and the ugly among them are not allowed access into the Hallowed Chamber of the Nigerian Supreme Court. The names of other 21 Supreme Court nominees are this link: https://saharareporters.com/2023/11/16/breaking-nigerian-judicial-service-commission-nominates-22-new-justices-elevation
Democratic Forces Must At All Time Hold Government Of Nigeria Accountable
Democracy is like good laws which can never work unless activated. Human Rights are also deaf and dumb in docile and illiteracy-ruled society especially that overrun by tyranny. Therefore, the petitioned Democratic Forces must rise and activate propellers of good and accountable governance in Nigeria or any part thereof. For instance, National Assembly members can never be rubber-stamping or Executive Arm turning itself into demigods if Democratic Forces are alive to their oversight democratic responsibilities. Well raised and harnessed public opinions in the world over are the nightmare and effective checks and balances for erring and dictatorial public office holders, whether elected, selected or appointed. Through Democratic Free Speeches, Governmental excesses and brutes are cut to sizes and forced to rise to their sacred duties. Democratic Free Speeches are also globally noted to have more than 20 lawful and public result-oriented forms including picketing, processions, vigils, local and international rallies, ghost street (sit-at-home), public interest petitions, class action or public interest litigations, local and international press conferences, researches, investigations and documentations; engagements with Government reps and influential members of the diplomatic community, hunger strikes, legislative engagements and sponsorship of public-interest bills; issuance of early warnings, election participations or boycotts, withdrawal of services, local and international speech deliveries, freedom-square rallies and speeches, etc. The Democratic Forces petitioned are specifically called upon to ensure that come August 22, 2024 when the present CJN goes on mandatory retirement, a stooge and an democracy enemy is not imposed and allowed access into the hallowed seat of CJN as well as come October 21, 2025 when the current INEC Chair will mandatorily end his last five year tenure. His replacement must not be a stooge and an arch enemy of democracy and political participation in Nigeria or any part thereof.
Concluded
Signed:
Prof Justin Akujieze
For: Ekwenche Research Institute, Chicago, USA
Emeka Umeagbalasi (Criminologist-Researcher)
For: International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law
Comrade Aloysius Emeka Attah
For: Civil Liberties Organization, South-East Zone
Prof Jerry Chidozie Chukwuokolo and Engineer Ikenwoke Nwandu
For: South-East Based Coalition of Human Rights and Democracy Organization
General Contacts:
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org
Website: https://intersociety-ng.org
Reference:
https://intersociety-ng.org/nigerian-electoral-process-and-public-governance-must-no-longer-be-left-in-the-hands-of-judicial-officers-electoral-umpire-and-political-actors-alone/ (part one of the open letter)
