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Former Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal, Isa Ayo Salami, has sparked fresh debate over the 2023 general elections, by stating that Peter Obi should not be allowed to contest the presidential election under the Labor Party.
The retired legal expert attributed what he described as flawed results in the electoral process to gaps in judicial competence, and noted that similar concerns were also present in the case of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf.
Salami made the remarks on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, while receiving an award from the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ), presented by its founder Dapo Olorunyomi and Executive Director Motunrayo Alaka.
Reflecting on the state of the judiciary in Nigeria, Salami expressed concern over the quality and preparedness of a number of judges. “There were some bad eggs among some of the judges. Actually, I wouldn’t say bad eggs.
“Some of them have difficulty studying, because they don’t have a good background to become judges.
“Imagine appointing a higher-ranking clerk as judge. He has no experience. In the past, that wouldn’t have happened.
“Maybe because of the population explosion, we have all these people working in the legal field. Every university or college is trying to set up a law faculty. All of this is probably responsible, not because they are dishonest.
“Personally, they are inadequate. This may be responsible for their wrong judgments. Sometimes, if you look at the judgments of some of them, even the decisions of the Supreme Court, you will be surprised and wonder what happened.
“For example, Peter Obi may not contest the 2023 presidential election. In this case, when he lost the PDP primaries, the LP had submitted its list of members to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“And the Constitution says that there cannot be an independent candidate, so how can he be an LP candidate if he is not part of the LP?
The same thing happened to Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, who has now defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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“His name is not on the NNPP list, but they issued a membership card and that list should be the parent of the card.
“But the Supreme Court agreed to it, even though the court and appeals court did not agree. That’s a competency issue.
“People enter MA not because they are good, but because there is a vacancy in their area.
“They are replacing people who are their seniors, who they met at the Court of Appeal and who are more experienced than them.
“I am a practical example. Some of those who came ten years after I reached the High Court, I recommended to the Supreme Court because in my area there were no vacancies. That is the tragedy we are experiencing. We hope that as time goes by, everything will improve.”
Despite his criticism, the former head of the appeals court expressed his appreciation to WSCIJ for the honor given to him.
“I am very happy to receive this award. I hope and pray that your organization will thrive. I am sure many people will be excited, over time, to receive your award.
“There is almost no judge who does not appreciate the awards that come to him. Even if he is a bad judge, let alone other judges who are very good and dedicated,” he said.
Salami also reflected on the influences that shaped his career, citing the inspiration he got from Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and the late statesman Obafemi Awolowo.
“In fact, Chief Awolowo was the one who influenced my decision to read the law during his treason crime trial. And the government prevented his legal advisors from coming to the country from the UK.
“Chief Awolowo decided to undertake his personal defense. So I thought if I entered politics and found myself in the same situation, I should be able to defend myself,” added the legal expert.
