The National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande and other eminent personalities have praised the Friday judgement by the Court of Appeal in Ilorin, Kwara State, in which the ACN governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, was declared winner of the 2007 governorship election.
Other personalities who gave their views on the ruling are former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba; ACN governorship aspirant in Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; Spokesman, Save Nigeria Group, Yinka Odumakin; Senatorial aspirant, ACN, Ogun East, Bisi Adegbuyi; governorship aspirant, ACN, Ogun State, Kayode Soyinka; Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Festus Keyamo; and deputy National Chairman, South-West, National Conscience Party, Chief Amitolu shittu.
Akande noted that the judiciary had done well in the entrenchment of the regime of justice and restoration of progressive democracy.
He said, “I am overwhelmed by the courage that the judiciary put into the judgement because Nigeria, for some years now, has been playing host to parasites. The PDP, before destroying themselves, are trying hard to destroy Nigeria. That the judgement was able to bring out the truth overwhelmed me. I congratulate Fayemi and I pray that God will save Nigerians from the parasites.”
Osoba said, “I thank God for Ekiti victory. Jesus is alive in Ekiti State and Nigeria.”
Odumakin said, “It is a reward for perseverance and tenacity; it is justice delayed but not justice denied. At the same time, it exposes how permissive of criminality our system is.”
Amosun described it as a ray of hope that all was not lost and that democracy could thrive in the country.
Adegbuyi said, ”It shows that the judiciary and other arms of government can help us achieve justice, fairness and truth in the polity. The terrain is now changing.”
Soyinka said nothing could be so emotionally draining than knowing that one had been robbed at the polls and then had to fight in court for four years to get justice.
The ACN, Ogun State chapter, said the ruling of the Court of Appeal was outstanding triumph of democracy and the rule of law.
Keyamo, in a press release dated Friday October, 15, said after the celebration, the task before Fayemi would be to justify the confidence reposed in him by delivering good governance, by shunning corruption and by leading his people aright.
He said, ”The decision of the Court of Appeal, which nullified the election of Engr. Segun Oni and declared Dr. Kayode Fayemi as the duly elected Governor of Ekiti State, is yet one of those bright spots in the annals of our judiciary.
”Given the facts of the case that were in the public domain, especially as it concerns Ido-Osi Local Government Area and the controversial somersault of the then Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, it would have been a travesty of justice, a destruction of democratic ethos, and a day-light political armed-robbery, had the judgment been otherwise.
“With this judgment, those remaining dark shadows that are still hanging ominously over the judiciary are beginning to give way. This kind of judgment makes us proud as Lawyers; makes us proud as Nigerians and gives real hope to our democratic future.
”Ayoka Adebayo must be arrested, detained, charged, tried publicly and sentenced to jail with hard labour. This will serve as a painful deterrent to others not to toy with our democratic future.”
Shittu said the judgement was victory for the oppressed and the downtrodden masses, not only in Ekiti, but also in Nigeria in general.
He said, “This is real victory for democracy and the rule of law; it is victory for the downtrodden masses of Ekiti who have been yearning for political salvation. This has finally laid to rest problem of lack of vision and the judgement has brought succour to those who were killed and brutalised in the struggle for true democracy.”
Source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101017251421
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