He noted that corruption, disregard for
due process, insensitivity and impunity on the part of government
officials have weakened the country’s electoral processes.
The eminent jurist recommended an “activist Judiciary” to guarantee an enduring democracy.
Justice Salami spoke yesterday in
Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the yearly Mohammed Mustapha Akanbi
Lecture, organised by the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Law Faculty.
He said: “In a word, their sHe said: “In
a word, their so-called electoral mandate lacks legitimacy. On their
part, public officials have scant regard for the common good. All these
have far-reaching implications for good governance, accountability and
sustainable development. In this context, the popular expectation is
that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should brace
up for the challenges the conduct of the 2015 elections will throw up.
The inevitable question would be whether or not the Judiciary has any
role to play in this regard.”
Justice Salami said: “The Judiciary must re-invent itself to give more bite to the raw content of our laws. In this regard, we advocate a judicial interpretation of electoral laws in such a way that in the end, justice would be served.
