Tinubu Asked To Clarify Warning To Judges After Saying ‘Illegal Orders Will No Longer Be Tolerated’ In Democracy Day Speech

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to clarify certain comments he made about the Nigerian judiciary during his June 12 Democracy Day speech at 7 am.

June 12 reminds Nigerians of the annulment of the 1993 election of M.K.O Abiola by the Nigerian military led by General Ibrahim Babangida.

Today, Tinubu, while promising to provide dividends of democracy to Nigerians, said his administration will no longer tolerate “illegal orders”.

“It is about the rule of law and vibrant judiciary that can be trusted to deliver justice and strengthen institutions. It has become imperative to state here that the unnecessary illegal orders used to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.

“The recent harmonization of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law, which is a critical pillar of democracy. The reform has just started,” he said.

The comment did not sit down well with SERAP, a public interest group made up of activists and lawyers.

In its tweet on Monday, the group asked Tinubu to shed light on it, particularly the word “illegal”.

The group noted that it was contrary to the rule of law to describe court order as illegal.

“President Tinubu should clarify his statement that “unnecessary illegal orders issued to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.” It’s antithetical to the rule of law and judicial independence to describe any court order as “unnecessary” or “illegal”,” SERAP tweeted.