Atiku cautions against exploiting judiciary to persecute political opponents

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has denounced the Federal High Court's decision not to revisit the stringent bail conditions imposed on ex-Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, deeming these conditions overly restrictive and warning of a disturbing trend of exploiting legal processes to target political adversaries.

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This stance was conveyed by Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, highlighting the implications for constitutional freedoms and the administration of justice in Nigeria.

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The former vice president emphasized that while courts have the discretion to set bail conditions, this authority must be wielded judiciously, arguing that requirements that are clearly excessive or unattainable essentially negate the purpose of bail and amount to detention by procedural means.

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Atiku Abubakar stressed that the principle of innocence until proven guilty is a cornerstone of the law, and that bail is intended to safeguard this constitutional protection, rather than serving as a means of punishment prior to conviction.

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He questioned the rationale behind conditions that necessitate the production of a serving Grade Level 17 federal civil servant who must also own verifiable property in Maitama or Asokoro, in addition to a multitude of other requirements, which he believes few Nigerians could ever fulfill.

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Atiku cautioned that the implications of such precedents extend far beyond El-Rufai's case, as they undermine the principles of a democratic society governed by the rule of law, where any citizen's liberty could be compromised by unattainable conditions.

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The former vice president expressed particular concern over an emerging pattern across the country, in which opposition figures and government critics find themselves entangled in legal and administrative battles, and urged the judiciary to resist perceptions that justice is inaccessible in practice.

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Atiku emphasized that judicial decisions must inspire confidence in the fairness, impartiality, and accessibility of justice, especially at a time when public trust in institutions is under unprecedented strain.

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He argued that bail conditions should ensure attendance in court, rather than guarantee continued incarceration, and that when a citizen is granted bail but faces conditions that make release virtually impossible, this constitutes a constructive denial of bail that undermines the spirit of the Constitution.

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Atiku stressed that the determination of guilt or innocence is the sole prerogative of the courts, but what concerns every patriot is whether constitutional safeguards are being upheld, as the right to liberty, the presumption of innocence, and the right to a fair hearing are not privileges to be dispensed at convenience, but rather constitutional guarantees.

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Nigeria's democracy, he declared, is strongest when justice is blind to politics, immune from pressure, and accessible to all, and that anything less diminishes the nation as a whole.