By Amos Tauna
A Kaduna based rights group, Movement for the Right Choice Tuesday says, the Supreme Court’s judgement is not a victory for the Ahmed Makarfi’s led group or the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but victory against impunity and leadership rascality.
Speaking after a stakeholders meeting held in Kaduna, northern Nigeria, the Chairman, Movement for the Right Choice, Danjuma Peter Gbobien, said the judgement should also serve as a wakeup call for all political parties to stop imposition of candidates and adhere to the rules of the game.
According to Gbobien, it was high time political parties got the message clearly that imposition of candidates on either the party or electorate is the fastest way to sending a political party to extinction.
While congratulating the Nigerian judiciary for its boldness and resilience amidst all threats, he said, “For the judiciary to stand firm in making our democracy stand the taste of time, is indeed not only commendable, but a sign of better days ahead in Nigeria.
He called on all youth, who are eligible voters, but yet to be captured in the on-going voters’ registration exercise to do so immediately, so that they are not disenfranchised in future elections.
“The only way to decide who becomes your leader in future elections is to have the voter card,” he assured.
Mr. Danjuma stressed, ” Political power resides in the people, but only those who have voters card to vote candidates of their choice.”
Similarly, the former Deputy Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yohana Jatau, who was part of the meeting described the Supreme Court judgement as “No victor, no vanquished.”
According to him, the PDP crisis was a mere in-house disagreement that was not well managed.
He therefore called on all PDP members, including those who left the the party to return to the party and build a united and stronger PDP.
He however, commended the rights group for its efforts to ensure and promote good governance, as well as its non-partisanship position on all matters relating to fundamental rights of citizens.
