Jonathan Calls For Review Of Judgement On Powers Of Political Party Leadership

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over recent court judgments related to political parties and the powers of their leadership.

Jonathan, who spoke Thursday at the 67th birthday celebration of legal luminary, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, in Abuja, expressed worry over the state of the country’s justice system, citing the Supreme Court’s decision allowing ward chairmen to suspend national party chairmen as a notable example.

Jonathan argued that the judgement was a deviation from the principle of natural justice and had led to instability within the country’s political space, as both the PDP and APC, have been affected by it.

He said, “When a cone is turned upside down, it cannot stand because any little thing that touches it will fall.

“You cannot tell me that the head of a department can expel the vice chancellor.

“Since that judgement was given, it has created all forms of instability. The PDP is in crisis today because of that judgement. The APC also faced the same problem at a time.

“Look at how other nations work; I have never seen where the sub-unit disciplines the principal.

“I am therefore pleading with the Supreme Court to review that judgement because it had turned the cone upside down,” ex-President Jonathan added.

He made this call shortly after being brought to the podium by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was originally named chairman of the event.

Obasanjo, who also announced Jonathan as co-chairman of the event, extolled the virtues of the celebrant, Prof. Ozekhome, describing him as both “an extraordinary man” and “a radical.”

“Mike is a person who advocates for thorough or complete positive change with conviction, courage, and integrity.

“That is the man that we have come to honour,” Obasanjo stated before he passed the microphone to Jonathan.

Prior to his remarks, Jonathan, who disclosed that he wrote the forward of one of the 50 books that were written and presented at the event by Ozekhome, said he knew that ex-President Obasanjo would not want to delve into the issue he pointed out about the judiciary and the recent judgements.

Meanwhile, before the duo left the podium, Obasanjo, who took back the microphone, said, “I know that former President Jonathan said that I would not want to say anything.

“But, I want to say that there is much to say and it is not yet time for it.”