A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Salami (retd.), has said that the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, was not qualified to contest the poll, citing constitutional provisions on party membership.
Salami also expressed concerns over what he described as declining standards within the judiciary, attributing some controversial judgments to incompetence among certain judges.
The retired jurist spoke on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, during a courtesy visit by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, where he was honoured for his contributions to the legal profession.
According to him, Obi’s emergence as the Labour Party candidate did not comply with constitutional requirements, as the party had already submitted its membership register to the Independent National Electoral Commission before he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said, “Strictly speaking, Peter Obi ought not to have been allowed to contest the 2023 presidential election. By the time he left the PDP after losing the primary, the Labour Party had already submitted its list of members to INEC.
“The Constitution does not recognise independent candidacy. So, how did he become the candidate of a party he was not a member of at the time?”
Salami drew a parallel with the case of Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, noting that questions had also been raised over his membership status in the New Nigeria Peoples Party at the time of his election.
He, however, blamed inconsistencies in judicial pronouncements on what he termed inadequate capacity among some judges, stressing that the issue was more of competence than integrity.
“There are a few bad eggs, but I would rather say some judges have learning deficiencies. They lack the proper background expected of the office,” he said.
He lamented that the process of appointing judges had been weakened, allowing individuals with insufficient experience to ascend the bench, including to the Supreme Court.
“At times, when you read some judgments, even from the apex court, you are astonished. Some justices get there not necessarily because they are the best, but because there is a vacancy in their zone,” he added.
The former appellate court president recalled his own experience, noting that some of his juniors were elevated to the Supreme Court ahead of him due to zoning considerations.
He expressed optimism that reforms would eventually address the challenges within the judiciary.
Speaking on his career, Salami credited the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, for influencing his decision to study law, particularly during Awolowo’s treason trial, where he opted to defend himself.
He also acknowledged the influence of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, describing him as a figure whose courage and principles shaped his views on national issues.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the WSCIJ, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, alongside Motunrayo Alaka, presented the award to Salami in recognition of his service to justice and integrity in public life.
Responding, Salami expressed appreciation for the honour, noting that such recognition would inspire both serving and retired judicial officers to uphold high standards in the administration of justice.
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