NDC deregistration: Peter Obi once benefitted from judicial decisions: Gov Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has issued a stern warning to politicians: stop politicising judicial decisions. His words of caution come in the wake of the Federal High Court's ruling on the deregistration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), a move that has disrupted the opposition ranks. Sani's message is clear: it's time to stop applauding the courts when judgments favour us and condemning them when they don't.

For many Nigerians, Sani's words are a stark reminder of the double standard that pervades our justice system. They recall the numerous instances where politicians have benefited from judicial decisions, only to turn around and condemn the courts when the outcomes don't favour them. Take, for instance, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the NDC. His meteoric rise to prominence was largely facilitated by a landmark judicial pronouncement that secured his mandate as governor of Anambra State.

For Sani, the issue of judicial decisions is not about the ruling party or the opposition, but about the principles of democracy and the rule of law. He argues that politicians should not pick and choose when to support the judiciary, depending on the outcome. By doing so, they undermine the very fabric of our democracy. Sani is not alone in his concerns; many Nigerians have expressed similar reservations about the politicisation of the judiciary.

But there is a deeper issue at play here: the double standard of justice. While Sani acknowledges that no judicial system is perfect, he believes that democrats must continue to place their trust in the courts and other democratic institutions. The problem lies in the fact that politicians often have a different yardstick by which they measure the credibility of the judiciary. When it favours them, they hail the courts as the bastion of democracy; when it doesn't, they dismiss the judiciary as biased and incompetent.

For Sani, the deregistration of the NDC is not a case of external interference, as some opposition parties have claimed. Rather, it is a symptom of the deep-seated problems that plague the opposition. The governor argues that opposition parties are plagued by internal divisions, which stem from disagreements over presidential ambitions and power-sharing arrangements. Sani's assessment is a scathing indictment of the opposition's inability to present a united front, let alone a credible alternative to the ruling party.

As the NDC navigates the treacherous waters of deregistration, one thing is clear: the party's future hangs in the balance. If it fails to address its internal divisions and present a united front, it risks becoming a footnote in the history of Nigerian politics., will the party's leadership rise to the challenge, or will they succumb to the same pitfalls that have plagued their predecessors?

As the dust settles on the NDC's deregistration, one thing is certain: the future of Nigerian democracy hangs in the balance. Will we continue to perpetuate a double standard of justice, or will we work towards a system that is fair, impartial, and just for all? The choice is ours.