By NAN
The Nigeria Civil Society’s Alliance for Democratic Change (NCSADC), a prominent socio-political pressure group, has strongly criticized what it describes as an ambiguous and unenforceable ruling recently delivered by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja by the group’s Northern Coordinator, Ambassador Abdul Abdul, the NCSADC condemned the July 4th judgment in the case involving Senator Natasha Uduaghan-Akpoti and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, where the former was suspended under controversial circumstances.
According to the group, “The world must be reminded that Justice Binta Nyako erred gravely by issuing a ruling that defies logic, legal tradition, and the principles of fairness. The judgment was not only ambiguous but failed to deliver a clear resolution to a case that deserved judicial clarity and fairness.”
The group warned that Nigeria’s democracy risks continued erosion if members of the judiciary—particularly in politically sensitive cases—fail to deliver fair, impartial, and unambiguous judgments. “Judicial missteps such as this compromise the rule of law and diminish public confidence in the judiciary as the custodian of constitutional justice,” the statement read.
NCSADC noted the contradiction in Justice Nyako’s ruling, which seemingly favored and disfavored both parties at the same time—granting no clear remedy to Senator Natasha, the complainant, whose suspension the court described as “excessive and unnecessary” but failed to order her reinstatement.
“Many Nigerians are appalled by the contradictory posture of the ruling,” the group stated. “How can a complainant be asked to pay a fine and apologize to the very Senate President who unlawfully suspended her—contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the Senate Rules—simply over a seating arrangement issue and her refusal to be publicly humiliated?”
The group described the ruling as “a questionable judicial pronouncement,” which it said approbated and reprobated simultaneously—favoring Senator Akpabio with punitive reliefs, while recognizing the excessive nature of Senator Natasha’s suspension, yet stopping short of granting her full justice.
“It is an unacceptable judicial subterfuge that every true democrat must condemn,” the statement added.
Also speaking, the Southern Coordinator of the group, Comrade Victor Ojei, described the situation as “a clear miscarriage of justice.” He referenced Senator Natasha’s recent attempt to resume plenary—only to be blocked by armed security operatives allegedly acting on instructions from the Senate President, who cited conditions from the same ambiguous court ruling.
“This disgraceful episode underscores the dangers of ambiguous judgments in sensitive constitutional matters,” Ojei stated.
The group concluded by urging members of the judiciary to uphold the integrity of their office by avoiding politically motivated, unclear, or contradictory judgments—especially in cases with clear legal precedents from past Senate sessions. “Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done,” the statement emphasized. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)