Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last
elections, says the rule of law becomes threatened once people lose faith in
the fairness of the judiciary.
In a thread on his X page on Tuesday, Obi said rule of law
is the foundation for all fundamental rights of humans, noting that it is what
binds societies together.
The former Anambra governor said
when a democracy is based on faulty justice, it opens the society to apparent
dangers.
“The lofty titles that decorate
people in power have little meaning if there is a hollowness and falsehood
underneath them,” Obi said.
“Such titles which adorn those in public
office mean nothing if they are not original and are fake if those who bear
them have no honour to support the weight of the titles they carry.
“In situations where there is
public doubt as to the veracity and authenticity of these titles and the claims
behind them, it is the judiciary’s role, when called upon, to uphold the honour
of the titles through transparent rulings.
“Only through such judicial
interventions can the public be protected from the tyranny of dubious and
duplicitous characters and identity fraudsters.
“In such situations, the judiciary has a
bounding duty to protect society’s value system. This is one of the obligations
of an impartial judiciary in a democracy.
“The rule of law remains the
lifeblood of democracy in all societies and by whatever definition across time.
“It remains the foundation for
all our fundamental rights as humans. It is the rule of law that binds society
together.
“The expectation by the high and
low alike that their rights will be protected and respected by fair judges in
transparent courts is what keeps citizens’ loyalty and belief in democracy.
“People, irrespective of their station in
life, approach the courts whenever they feel their rights are assailed in the
expectation that fair courts will render justice to them according to law.
“However, when the fairness of
the judiciary is not assured, and the transparency of judiciary operatives is
uncertain, the rule of law will come under severe threat.
“Once ordinary people lose faith
in the fairness of the judiciary, the rule of law is threatened.”
He added that the society will
become threatened when the rule of the powerful trumps rule of law.
“With it, faith in democracy
comes under threat as well. A society is endangered when the rule of the
powerful and the rule of the rich and the mighty replaces the rule of law,” he
said.
“When that happens, justice
becomes a commodity to be traded between the rich and powerful and a cult of
corrupt judiciary operatives.
“When a democracy is based on faulty justice,
it opens society to apparent dangers.”
