By Dayo Benson

THE Supreme Court cases involving former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been described as one of the experiences that has strengthened the nation’s democracy.

Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida made this assertion at a public presentation of a book titled “Landmark Constitutional Law Cases in Nigeria, 2004-2007 (The Atiku Abubakar Cases), which held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja to mark Atiku’s 67th birthday.

Babangida who was the chairman of the occasion said: “He Atiku Abubakar,   will soon be knocking at our doors, those of us who are 70 years and above. I have great respect for the person and   subject matter of the book and what it represents for our democracy. It dealt with such issues as the powers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) vis-a-vis the   political parties to decide the choice of candidates

“ The question of internal democracy, the decision of the court on affirmation, on the choice of candidates will help our democracy. Others include the removal of elected persons from public office, the decision of the court on this also deepened the   rule of law in our democracy, protection of the inalienable rights of Nigerians including those in public offices.”

Gen. Babangida stated that the role of the judiciary in   constitutionalism was handled by the courts   and noted that the summary of the book is that democracy worked. He pointed out that Atiku’s consistent resolve in the cases was a manifestation of his love for democracy and good governance and if not him, the Nigerian democratic trajectory would have taken a different course. While commending him for choosing the courts   in resolving his grievances and not otherwise

Babangida called on all Nigerians and political leaders to emulate him in embracing the judicial process in resolving   political and economic problems. Saying that “as a politician, he has not only proved himself an astute politician, but also a true democrat. Babangida noted that the dedication of the book to Shehu Musa Yar’Adua showed that Nigerians must not take this democratic experience for a ride, politicians must realise that what we enjoy today as democracy, is the product of sacrifice of many Nigerians”

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Alh. Lai Mohammed, who represented the national leader of the party , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said: “ It was the failure of the powers that be in the first republic that led to the crises we had and the first military coup d’etat.

As long as we continue to abide with the rule of law, we will enjoy our democracy, if we do otherwise, we will continue to grope in darkness”

Former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Chief Michael Andoakaa said “ the only way to justice in this country is for us to obey the rule of law.

Atiku thanked the Authors of the book-Dean Faculty of Law, Nassarawa State University,   Prof. Maxwell Gidado and Chudi Ojukwu for chronicling the legal events of that time, their effects and contributions to Nigeria’s legal jurisprudence.

He said that   “We cannot remove people endorsed by political parties, Governors cannot remove their Deputies,   elected officers can now decamp from their   political parties and so on. Atiku commended the Nigerian Judiciary for it’s consistence in defending   democracy by putting the nation first, stating that “we must be a society of men who respect the rule of law.”

Rickey Tarfa (SAN) who   described the audience at the book presentation as intimidating stated that the fact that the event coincided with the the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Law School was significant. Tarfa said: “Those decisions changed democracy in Nigeria, they consolidated democracy because they consolidated the position of political office holders, his determination brought judicial intervention and in fact, we are celebrating the judiciary.”

They show us the reality of the separation of powers, and of the rule of law.

“They remind us that building democracy is never easy; that building democracy is always fraught with conflict; and that building a democracy requires   of us all the courage and the commitment, the vigilance, the courage and the steadfastness shown in these cases by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar”.