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‘Obi Was Not Qualified to Run’ – Ex-Appeal Court President Salami Faults 2023 Election Process
Justice Ayo Salami criticises the 2023 election, questioning Peter Obi’s eligibility and raising concerns about competence within Nigeria’s judiciary.
A former President of the Court of Appeal, Isa Ayo Salami, has argued that Peter Obi should not have been cleared to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party.
Salami made the remarks in Ilorin while receiving an award from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, blaming what he described as judicial incompetence for controversial rulings in the country’s electoral process.
“For instance, Peter Obi ought not be allowed to contest the 2023 presidential election… by the time he lost the PDP primary, LP had submitted its list of members to INEC,” he said.
“And the Constitution says there cannot be an independent candidacy, so how did he become a candidate of the LP if he does not belong to the LP?”
He said the situation mirrored that of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, whose party membership he also questioned.
“The same thing happened to… Abba Yusuf… His name is not in the NNPP’s register, but they issued him a membership card,” Salami stated, adding that the Supreme Court upheld the outcome despite objections at lower courts.
The retired justice expressed broader concerns about the judiciary, pointing to what he described as weak capacity among some judges and flaws in the promotion system.
“Some of them have a problem with learning… They don’t have a good background to be judges,” he said, adding that such limitations contribute to questionable rulings.
He further criticised the process of judicial elevation, noting, “People get to the Supreme Court not because they are good but because there is a vacancy from their zones.”
Salami also reflected on his personal journey, crediting Obafemi Awolowo for inspiring his legal career and Wole Soyinka for shaping his principled stance on national issues.
Expressing gratitude for the honour, he said, “I am very happy to receive the award… I am very sure that many people will be eager, from time to time, to be honoured by you.”
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