Arise Television anchor, Reuben Abati, has criticised Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over his comments on the Federal High Court judgment that nullified the David Mark led leadership of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Friday, Abati faulted Keyamo’s response to the ruling, warning that public celebration by government officials over a court decision affecting the opposition could fuel suspicion.
Keyamo had argued that the opposition was operating on what he described as a flawed assumption that whenever an opposition party loses a court case, the ruling party must have influenced the outcome.
Abati disagreed with that position, explaining that Nigerians were not questioning the authority of the judiciary to determine disputes but were concerned about the timing of the judgment, the circumstances surrounding it and the speed with which government officials celebrated the decision.
He cautioned against speculation about external interference in judicial proceedings but maintained that the concerns raised by the opposition should not be dismissed as mere sentiments.
“Stop celebrating, Keyamo. The matter is not over yet. They will go to the Appeal Court.
“And then, the Appeal Court will be able to look at the issues either about procedure, about timing, about technicality, about evidence, how evidence was filed, and whether the procedure should have been through originating summons or another thing,” Abati said.
He further argued that when a minister whose responsibilities are unrelated to elections becomes the most vocal government figure celebrating the removal of an opposition presidential candidate, it creates an impression of possible political involvement.
Meanwhile, the ADC has vowed to challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal, where the issues surrounding procedure, timing, technicalities and evidence are expected to be considered.
