Erstwhile president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was bent on ruining the chances of his estranged vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to contest the 2007 presidential election on the platform of the then Action Congress (AC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had disqualified him from contesting, and Atiku instituted a court case towards invalidating his disqualification. The Supreme Court was going to give its judgement on Thursday April 12, 2007 (just nine days before the election); and Obasanjo, sensing that INEC’s action could be upturned, decided to thwart the opposing camp’s joy — even if only momentarily. It was a real shock.
On April 11, 2007 — a day before the scheduled delivery of the judgement — Obasanjo announced Thursday April 12 and Friday April 13, 2007, as public holidays.
“The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has declared Thursday, April 12 and Friday, April 13, 2007, as work-free days to enable people to travel in order to participate in the gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections on Saturday, April 14, 2007,” secretary to the government of the federation, Chief Ufot Ekatte announced back then.
But he stated explicitly that the declaration of work-free days did not include “operations of banks and other essential services.” If there was any doubt that the holidays were more about the outcome of the election than the election itself, that clause against bankers erased it.
Expectedly, the Atiku Campaign Organisation screamed to the heavens, branding Obasanjo a president who was “manipulating state institutions” and running a government determined to “muzzle and intimidate the judiciary”.
Perhaps the president succeeded in destabilising the APC camp, but the holidays did little to prevent the court from nullifying Atiku’s disqualification. (Maybe when Atiku eventually lost the election, placing third with 2, 637, 848 votes behind Muhammadu Buhari and Umaru Yar’Adua, Obasanjo would have wondered if the two days of holiday were not a waste, after all.).
Looking back, Obasanjo’s holiday gesture might have delayed the court’s pronouncement, but it failed to stop the court from validating Atiku’s presidential aspirations. Will Nyako be that unlucky? Will he, despite his holidays, fail in this near-impossible mission to halt his impending impeachment?
The acting Cheif judge has only 3months to be in office and that expires today hence the public holiday declaration.Inyako still has the prerogative of appointing another person as Acting CJ. Somebody loyal to Nyako may be appointed tomorrow as Acting CJ..Lets watch with keen interest as the drama unfolds
These politicians are funny. The same Nyako that reluctantly accepted Obasanjo’s bait to become a Governor in 2007 is now possessed of power. Public holiday or political holiday, if your people are tired of your leadership, is it not honourable to quit honourably rather than being dishonourably booted out? Abi what type of country is this?
“Perhaps the president succeeded in destabilising the APC camp, but the holidays did little to prevent the court from nullifying Atiku’s disqualification.”
APC in 2007???