*The Court Must Remain the Hope of the People: The El-Rufai Matter and the Soul of Justice
Nigeria stands today at a defining moment between the rule of law and the rule of power. Bail is not a favour granted at the pleasure of authority; it is a constitutional right rooted in justice, fairness and the presumption of innocence.
As an elder statesman, a patriotic Nigerian and an octogenarian who fears God, this intervention borders on the travail of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
We don’t belong to the same political party but despite political differences, I see him as a son and he respects me like a father.
However, I must protest anywhere I see injustice rearing its ugly head in the country.
Before his mother died, those concerned were playing politics with his bail. He was released to bury his mother and since then, he was moved from one court to the other while lawyers argued his bail application.
It is a welcome development that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, on Monday, granted him bail. But series of stringent conditions were imposed.
I am not asking for special treatment for El-Rufai but he must not be denied bail again because of these conditions. We are asking only that the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria be applied fairly, without fear, bias, intimidation or political persecution. A nation cannot claim to uphold democracy while citizens are denied the protections guaranteed by its own Constitution and by the principles of fundamental human rights.
To the judiciary, history will remember not merely the judgements delivered, but whether courage stood beside justice in difficult times. The court remains the last hope of the common man, and that sacred trust must never be weakened by silence in the face of obvious injustice.
To the President and all custodians of state power, true leadership is demonstrated not by the strength to punish opponents, but by the wisdom to protect justice even for those with differing views.
We therefore call for fairness, due process, and immediate respect for the constitutional rights of every citizen. No democracy survives when justice is selective. No nation prospers when truth is imprisoned.
May justice speak louder than politics, and may the rule of law prevail over every form of oppression.
We therefore state clearly and without hesitation that continued detention in circumstances where bail ought to apply offends both the spirit and the letter of the law. Justice cannot coexist with indefinite punishment before conviction. The law must not bend according to political convenience or selective interests. Where constitutional provisions and human rights principles demand liberty pending trial, that liberty must be granted.
Accordingly, El-Rufai should not be denied bail because of these conditions.
He should be released on bail forthwith, in accordance with the Constitution, the principles of justice and the enduring integrity of the Nigerian judicial system.
History will remember this moment — whether the law stood firm in defence of justice, or whether silence permitted injustice to prevail.
*Chief Olabode George
Atona O’dua of Yorubaland.
