TheCable

The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), a civil society organisation (CSO),  says there is nothing wrong with the “All eyes on the judiciary” billboards.

Recently, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) ordered the destruction of several billboards bearing the message “All eyes on the judiciary” across the country.

Olalekan Fadolapo, ARCON director-general, said the advertisement failed to follow vetting guidelines and was capable of breaching public peace.

In a statement on Thursday, Ifeanyi Nrialike, a lawyer and leader of the CSO, said the billboards were not mounting pressure on the judiciary.

“If you don’t have a skeleton in your cupboard, you don’t have reason to fear the ‘All eyes on judiciary’ slogan, there is no day nobody will not think about what will come out of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT),” Nrialike said.

“Saying the judiciary is the last hope of the common is not mounting pressure on the judiciary.”

He said the security agencies should not allow themselves to be used to oppress citizens who might want to protest if they are not satisfied with the ruling of the tribunal.

“If you stop people from protesting, you are telling people to go and take up arms, the security agencies should rather focus on criminals and terrorists instead of harassing innocent citizens expressing their civil rights,” the lawyer said.

Nrialike said the tribunal should deliver a judgment that is in the interest of the country.