Nigerians abroad lobby US Congress, EU help with past election suits

Coming on the heels of allegation of
bribery in the Nigerian judiciary, the U.S
Congress and the European Community
(EC) are currently under pressure by
Nigerian lobbyists abroad to prevail on
the Federal Government to order a review
of some past judgments by election
petitions tribunals and courts.
A source revealed that some Nigerians in
the US and Canada are mounting
pressure on the US Congress to pass a
resolution asking the Nigerian government
to look at judgments of election
cases involving suspect politicians and
judges.
The petitioners have already lobbied some
committees of the US Congress on the
need to use the window created by the
investigation of corruption in the judiciary
to open such cases to initiate a review of
the cases.
The groups are said to have secured
support of two powerful committees of
the US Congress, which have seen the
necessity for such a review.
According to our source, the lobbyists had
also reached out to the US Under
Secretary for African Affairs with signed
petitions, pressing for an inquest into
past judicial decision, especially those
affecting election petitions.
Though it was not disclosed how the US
Under Secretary for African Affairs and the
Congress Committees intend to approach
the matter, sources revealed that the
petitions had been received and with firm
promises that they would be acted upon.
Our source said the network of Nigerians
in the abroad lobbying for massive purge
of the judiciary also extends to Brussels,
where a petition had also been handed to
the European Union.
“There is a growing lobby by diasporan
Nigerians, mostly from America and
Canada, who are working to make sure
that ongoing investigation of corruption in
the judiciary leads to a review of past
judgements,” said a credible source in
Canada.
“They want past cases, especially those
that had to do with election petitions and
how people got elected into offices,
reviewed.
“The reason for flooding the US Congress
and European Union with petitions is
because we want a review of the
fraudulent judgements by our election
petitions tribunal and appeal court.
Nigerians have seen several instances
where results of elections that were
clearly rigged by politicians were upheld
by tribunals and the appeal court.
“We thank God that this government has
summoned the courage to look at
happenings in the judiciary. We want it to
be total. We want a review of judgements
by tribunals in different states and rulings
by appeal courts.
“Such steps had been taken by several
countries. It will not be a strange move if
it is done in Nigeria. If our judiciary is
sanitised so our country will begin to
witness development on all fronts.”
Speaking in a telephone chat from North
America, another source, who confirmed
that the lobbying groups have also sent
the petition to the EU, said that they are
receiving positive responses.
The development may particularly interest
President Muhammad Buhari, who had
lamented his frustrations with the
judiciary, especially as it involved his
election petitions in the courts in the
past.