Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has urged politicians to refrain from politicising judicial decisions, noting that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was among those who had previously benefited from court rulings.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sani reacted to concerns over the Federal High Court’s ruling affecting the registration of the NDC, stressing that public confidence in the judiciary is essential to the survival of Nigeria’s democracy.
The governor warned against the selective acceptance of judicial decisions, saying politicians often praise the courts when judgments are in their favour but condemn the judiciary when outcomes do not align with their interests.
“For those of us who believe in democracy, the rule of law and the judiciary, we have to be very careful. Politicising every judicial issue is not healthy for us,” he said.
Recalling Obi’s political history, Sani pointed out that the former Anambra State governor reclaimed his mandate through a landmark court judgment.
“Many of the political actors involved today have also benefited from judicial decisions in this country. Take the leader of the NDC himself—the presidential candidate, Peter Obi. He benefited from a very significant judicial pronouncement when he was governor.
“When judicial decisions favour politicians, they regard the judiciary as the best place to seek justice. But when judgments go against them, they suddenly see the judiciary as the worst institution,” he added.
While acknowledging that no judicial system is flawless, Sani maintained that democrats must continue to have faith in the courts and other democratic institutions.
“Our judiciary is not perfect, just as no judiciary anywhere in the world is perfect. But the important question is whether we can continue to have faith in the system. As democrats, we must believe in our institutions,” he said.
The governor also dismissed allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the administration of President Bola Tinubu was responsible for the internal crises confronting opposition parties.
“What evidence is there that the ruling party is behind what is happening to them? Sincerely speaking, they are simply moving from one political party to another in search of a platform to contest elections. They are not organised,” he said.
According to Sani, the persistent crises within opposition parties are driven largely by disagreements over presidential ambitions, power-sharing arrangements and leadership struggles, rather than external interference.
He argued that political parties established primarily as election platforms, instead of being founded on shared ideology and long-term principles, would continue to face internal divisions and instability.
