At the birthday celebration for distinguished lawyer Mike Ozekhome, former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan shared insights on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, underscoring concerns about the judiciary’s role.
Obasanjo, in his opening remarks, praised Ozekhome as an “extraordinary man” and highlighted his radical advocacy for political and social change.
He emphasized the importance of Ozekhome’s work, encouraging continued efforts in educating future generations.
Jonathan, co-chairing the event alongside Obasanjo, expressed deep worries about the judiciary’s current trajectory.
He pointed to a troubling ruling that allowed a ward chairman to expel a national chairman of a political party, stating, “This judgment has turned the cone upside down.”
He warned that such decisions could destabilize the political landscape, making it crucial for legal professionals to remain impartial and resist political pressures.
He lamented the excessive number of election-related cases flooding Nigerian courts, a situation he felt was detrimental to democracy. “Most countries don’t experience this level of litigation,” he noted, advocating for a more stable political process that could prevent crises within parties.
Both leaders emphasized the need for a robust judiciary that upholds justice and supports democratic stability. Jonathan called for a review of recent judicial decisions, asserting that the integrity of Nigeria’s political system is at stake.
The event did not only celebrated Ozekhome’s contributions but also served as a platform for addressing pressing issues in Nigeria’s political landscape, highlighting the vital intersection of law and governance.
Abansanjo in his opening remarks said, “Leet me start by congratulating Mike and his family, but particularly his wife, for occasion, for this occasion. When I accepted Mike’s invitation to write a tribute and to also make a statement in a video, I thought my job was done.
“I didn’t realize that he would ask me to be chairman, because when I realized that my brother and colleague, President Goodluck Jonathan, was coming, I thought he will be made the chairman of this occasion.
“But when I was called, then I decided we have got two chairmen for this occasion. So, we are co-chair. But before I give President Jonathan the opportunity to say his statement as a co-chair, I have two or three words to describe Mike.
“And the first one is that he’s an extraordinary man. Extraordinary man. And I thought I will live by that until yesterday I was out.
“And when I was coming back home, a friend of Mike called and said, where will you be tomorrow? And I said, tomorrow I will be attending a double ceremony for a friend who is celebrating his birthday and who also at the same time is presenting 50 books. And he said, who is that friend? I mentioned his name, Mike. Oh, and his reaction was, oh, he’s one of those radicals.
“So, I thought that, well, I have said that this man is an extraordinary man. When my friend said he’s one of those radicals, I did not know what to say. So, when I got home, I took my dictionary because I don’t know whether I will want to tell Mike that he has been described as a radical.
Or whether I will not.
“So, I took my dictionary. And of course, dictionary never lies. It will tell you. So, I look at the word radical, and it says, a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social change. Ah, I like that.
“So, I said, well, look, I will add that to my description of Mike. Mike is a person, and I also add a little bit of mine to the dictionary definition. So, I now read it out to you what I put down.
“Mike is a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social change with conviction, courage, and integrity. And that is the man that we have come to honor. Mike, happy birthday, and more grease to your elbows.
Jonathan on his part thanked Obasanjo saying, “Your Excellency, In fact, President Obasanjo described me as his younger brother.
He’s my father, I am not his younger brother, and he’s somebody I admire so much, even before I got into politics.
So, thank you, sir, for giving me this opportunity. You have brought me to speak at this time.
“I would have been made to speak maybe towards the last. And you have now upgraded me to be a co-chair. Thank you so much.
“So, as a co-chair, the chairman has already said what we should say. I don’t want to belabor the issues. And more so, like President Obasanjo said, I wrote the forward of one of the books and I also made the brief remarks in the video that maybe they will play on the multimedia and so on.
“So, I may not even want to talk about Mike because I made some statements, especially on the video. “But looking at the titles of the 50 books, then you’ll see that Mike is more than even being a radical.
“Because if you look at the various titles cut across almost all spheres of life, political science, law, history, biography, philosophy, health, etc., he’s writing like the philosophers of old, in those days when knowledge was not compartmentalized.
“And one philosopher can talk across the sphere of knowledge, and that is Mike. We thank God for creating people like you that can educate our children and continue to do your work.
“Well, because Mike is a very senior lawyer. So, I know so many senior lawyers are here, both at the bar and the bench. So, in such occasions, we only use such platforms to pledge, especially those of us who are into the political environment, that the way things are going in this country, especially listening to the judgments being given regarding political cases, which Baba will not want to go in, but I can go in.
“We are beginning to see that democracy in Nigeria is like a cone that is being turned upside down. And if you turn a cone upside down, and the top is supposed to be big, even if it’s a little roundish, and you manage to stand it, it cannot be so stable. The slightest perturbation, it will fall.
“When I listen to senior lawyers like Olisa Agbakoba, who was making comments on some Supreme Court judgments, I felt very sad that the country has gotten to that level.
“I’m pleadkng that if democracy will endure, the people both at the bar and the bench should not be carried away by political influence. That is the only way.
“And that is the only way we can stabilize the political process. I know the lawyers enjoy, during the middle of the election, the avalanche of litigation, because it’s like Christmas for lawyers, but most countries don’t go that way, People don’t go to courts. But in Nigeria, pre-election matters, election matters fill all the courts.
“This does not give a good sign for democracy. Comparing Nigeria to other African countries, and some countries outside Africa that have been able to get involved in the electoral processes. So, to me, it worries me.
“In fact, towards the end of this month, I’ll be going to Botswana. I want to go and see what others do. And you come back home and see what we do.
“It worries us. There is a particular judgment that has been haunting, and I need to mention that luckily I’m not a lawyer. I’m saying that from a layman’s view.
:Most very senior lawyers are here. That really turned the cone upside down. And if the courts don’t really look into this and rectify it, it will create so much instability in the political system that it will affect all of us.
“Even those who claim to have succeeded, their victory song will not last long, because we will all be victims. Where the courts say a ward chairman can expel a national chairman of a political party, this is not in line with national justice.
“The law is to control human behavior, and human behavior must follow our God-created systems. You cannot tell me that a head of department, for example, in a university, can expel the vice chancellor.
“So how can the Nigerian laws tell me that a ward chairman can expel a national officer of a political party? And since that judgment has been given, it has created all kinds of instability in the party. In fact, my PDP is in crisis because of that judgment.
“APC was also in crisis because of that judgment. And I’m not looking at it from a legal perspective, because I don’t know anything about the law. But when I look at how nature works, I have never seen a system where a subunit can discipline the top.
“For PDP, of course, Baba knows, in the constitution of PDP, if a national officer, even in your state, cannot discipline you, not to talk about a ward officer that are not even members of NEC, the National Executive Council.
“We are saying that a ward chairman of a party can suspend and expel a national chairman of a political party. I’m pleading with the Supreme Court to review that judgment.
“Because that judgment has turned the cone upside down. And the political process in the democracy is wobbling. I don’t want to go more, but let me just use this as an example.
“Baba, thank you for bringing me. Let me join you to congratulate Mike Ozakome, the wife and the family, for this 67th birthday celebration.
“Let me also, as the co-chair that I’ve been promoted to, thank all of you for coming to celebrate this family and celebrate this man that has made significant impact in the groups of Nigeria, especially his struggles for good governance and political leadership.
Concluding, Obasanjo said,
“I thank you all. I just want to thank you for the comment you made about political judgment. And you said I wouldn’t say anything.”