By: Luka Binniyat
Not less than 780 lawyers have signed up  for a legal battle against the principle of zoning, says the  Peoples Zones Alliance (PZA) – the group that dragged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), 57 political parties  and others, to an Abuja High  Court over the contentious  zoning formula of Parties last June

This was contained in a  statement signed by Barrister Babatunde B. Bamigboye, counsel to PZA.

In the statement, Bamigboye, said also refuted claims that the PZA is sponsored by President Jonathan Goodluck.

“Over seven-hundred and eighty lawyers have already indicated their preparedness to fight on our side for the right to vote and be voted for in a free and fair election”, he said.

“we appeal to members of the general public to join us in our struggle against zoning policy or any other policy that turns the electorate to a mere rubber stamp in the transition process”, he added.

The lawyers are asking among others, “whether in the light of Section 12(2) of Nigerian Constitution and Article 25 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act 1990, the Nigerian State is obligated to ensure free participation in government by the people of Nigeria without permitting this freedom to be circumvented or arrogated by the policies of anyone of the 1st to the 57th Defendants as political parties in Nigeria”.

The 780 lawyers according to him, are standing by PZA in the suit ref: suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/4242010.

According the PZA  Counsel, the lawsuit will help determine once and for all the importance of Nigerian citizens in all the processes that lead to election. “We want to use the peaceful and transparent arbitration of the court of justice to restore the Nigerian electorate to the position intended by our existing laws. It is high time Nigerian people began to decide who gets what where, when and how”, he said.

On being sponsored by President Goodluck, the PZA lawyer said. “We are not coordinated or sponsored  by the Presidency and I am not a confidante of any associate of the President”, he said.
“It is the ploy by our enemies  to put sentiments into a purely legal issue”, he said.