Edo State Judiciary Under Threat By Gov. Obaseki: A Response To Chris Nehikhare

Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy which recognized the three distinct arms of government, the Legislature, the Executives and the Judiciary.

For the past seven years of Gov Obaseki’s administration in Edo State, he has unlawfully interfered with the operations of the two other arms of government with reckless abandoned.

When Gov. Obaseki interfered with the Legislature and refused to swear in 14 elected members of the State House of Assembly, some argued that it was politice, which many also described as “politice taking too far”.

Now, Gov. Obaseki is at it again. Obaseki is at the verge of denying 8 judges of being sworn in 5 months after their appointments.

Is Gov. Obaseki also playing politice with the 8 judges?

In a frantic response to an earlier episode on the refusal of Gov. Obaseki from swearing in the 8 judges, Chris Nehikhare, the Hon. Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, was quoted as saying that there is a petition against some of the judges, hence Gov Obaseki has refused to swear in the 8 judges.

What a lie to be told by a government official in his desperate attempt to shield the governor for his flagrant disregards to constitutional order?

It should be noted that the process leading to the appointment of the 8 judges has been completed.

The process include the receipt of petitions if any against any aspiring judge. Put succinctly, any person to which a petition is proven against shall not and is usually not recommended for appointment as a judge. It is therefore not true when the commissioner for Communication and Orientation was quoted as saying that there is a petition against some of the judges.

However, Chris Nehikhare may have deliberately told a lie to save the face of the governor or he is not familiar with the process leading to the appointment of the 8 judges.

Assuming but not conceding that there is a petition against some of the judges as claimed by Chris Nehikhare, why has the Gov not sworn in those without petition?

Again, who is the petitioner? What are the grounds for the petition?

Why has none of the 8 judges be confronted with the petition five months after?

Let be known to the public that the process has passed the stage of petition. \

It is not at the stage of swearing in that the Governor will be purportedly raising the issue of petition. In fact, there is no petition against any of the recommended judges.

If the Governor has any petition against any of the 8 judges, let him make it public and disclosed the petitioners.

The Governor should be told the truth, go and swear in the 8 judges.

Is the Governor willing to live with the perpetual guilt that he was instrumental to the refusal to swear in 8 judges of the Edo State High Court, after the Governor had earlier set a bad precedent as the only Governor in Nigeria that refused the swearing in of 14 elected Law makers of the Edo State House of Assembly?.

The choice is his, but it is condemnable to toe that path of history.

Meanwhile, the commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, was also quoted in some media as calling on Edo People to join Governor Obaseki in moving Edo State forward in 2024. Let him go and tell the families of the 8 judges that the Governor has refused to swear in 5 months after their appointments to join the governor in moving Edo State forward in the 2024 Governorship Election, a state where the governor has absolutely power, which corrupts absolutely.