Benue: JUDGMENT FOR SALE

By Peter Awunah, PhD 

Yesterday, I decided to visit the Supreme Court to witness the legal fireworks in the appeal between the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Benue State, Rt. Hon. Titus Uba and Governor Hyacinth Alia which was billed for hearing. What played out in court yesterday however confirmed my fears that Nigeria is already a failed state. 

Any country whose judiciary has put its judgment up for sale to the highest bidder is gone! The scenario at the Supreme Court yesterday in the Benue governorship matter was worse than shame itself. 

Govenror Alia who had not appeared in court since the legal battle began last year, suddenly surfaced beaming with the confidence and pride of a man who has been told that he is favoured to win the biggest prize in an auction. And true to my suspicion, the Supreme Court justices forgot themselves and made it obvious that there was a deal the previous night. Alia was surprisingly introduced in court against known conventions in court proceedings where only counsels are introduced. He stood up and the leader of the panel Justice John Okoro made a wry joke that lawyers could even “go to the reverend father for confession”. Not many people were impressed and amused with his joke. His lordship rather gave himself cheaply away as one who was trying to impress his “client”. 

When it was time for hearing of the appeal proper, the panel of Supreme Court justices shocked even neutrals who were in court when they began to mount pressure on Chief Sabastine Hon, SAN who was leading the PDP/Uba legal team to withdraw the appeal. The justices knew that Titus Uba had a strong case in his appeal but they didn’t want to make a pronouncement on the issue of sponsorship of candidates by political parties, because if they did, that would become a law and affect other cases where some vested interests are. Clearly, external pressure and money were talking at that point. 

Their lordships went as far as threatening and blackmailing Chief Hon that “if you know that you are friend to this court, withdraw the appeal”. At that point, no one was left in doubt that something was wrong somewhere. Where has it been heard before that a team of court judges will come out clearly to take side with one of the parties in a matter and be openly hostile to the other side? But that was what happened in court. The PDP legal team had no choice than to withdraw the appeal because the justices made it impossible for the case to go on. They had made up their minds that the appeal would not be entertained, no matter what! 

On the eve of that court session, which was Sunday night, I got a call from a close friend who has inner contacts with top judiciary officials and he told me that something fishy was going on. My friend hinted me that govenror Alia had breezed into Abuja that evening and was heading for a meeting with some highly influential persons who would help him to survive at the Supreme Court the following day. He said Alia had earlier spent billions and was in town that night to conclude the deal. 

I initially wanted to doubt the story but my friend said “if Alia is able to get his way tonight, you will see him personally in court tomorrow; but if the arrangement does not favour him, you won’t see him there”. So when I saw Governor Alia arriving the court room smiling broadly and shaking hands with people, I felt a sting of discomfort, but I sat back to see how events would go. The rest, as they say, is history. 

A man who preached morality and piety for three decades as a priest has shown the height of hypocrisy and desperation never before seen in these parts. Hyacinth Alia might have “won” all his battles up to the Supreme Court, but what he cannot win is the battle of truth, trust and honesty. 

I have never been his fan, for whatever reason. Even during those years that he was lying about healing people, I didn’t believe him, because he never healed anyone. He is only clever at using fake populist rhetorics and tactics to win followership. A man who has lived all his life deceiving people does not deserve my respect! 
  
Alia promised to be transparent, but since he became governor, nothing is known about the finances of the state. He is using cronies to syphon state and local government funds and has sealed all government accounts and turned them to his personal accounts where he withdraws money any time he wants. 

Benue people will soon realize the one-chance vehicle that they have boarded. 

* Awunah writes from Durumi, Abuja