President of ANAP Foundation and founder of Stanbic IBTC, Atedo Peterside, has said he does not trust Nigeria’s judiciary, citing his father’s case, which took 23 years to be resolved from the High Court to the Supreme Court.
Speaking on Arise News, Peterside was asked whether recent Supreme Court rulings on the PDP and ADC strengthen or strain the pillars of credible elections and a trusted judiciary.
Addressing the ADC ruling, he explained that while the Supreme Court allowed David Mark to continue in the interim, the substantive suit has been sent back to the High Court, leaving the final outcome uncertain.
Peterside argued that only some Nigerians get prompt hearings from the judiciary, while most ordinary citizens would be lucky to get a hearing in six months if they brought a similar case. He added that those who receive quick hearings and special attention are usually privileged individuals or people sponsored by powerful interests.
Citing comments from former Supreme Court judge Amina Augie, he noted that registrars and other court officials often influence which cases get heard. According to him, an ordinary Nigerian cannot go to court and get a quick hearing on a matter like the ADC leadership dispute.
In his words, “All I can tell you is that only some Nigerians get prompt hearings from our judiciary. The rest of us, including you and I, if we brought a similar case as the fellow from ADC that came to court, you’d be lucky to get a hearing in even six months.”
“My father had a case in the judiciary. It took 23 years to be resolved from the High Court to the Supreme Court. The only people that go around courts getting quick hearings and getting all kinds of attention are people who generally are either gaming the system…See More
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