On Thursday, former president Goodluck Jonathan criticised the judiciary for what he called unsettling rulings that had recently come from a number of courts.

Speaking at the 67th birthday celebration of prominent lawyer Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, in Abuja, Jonathan expressed his concern about the state of affairs in the nation, particularly with regard to rulings in political issues.

He mentioned that the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing a political party’s ward chairman to remove the National Chairman of the organisation caused him great distress.

Ex-President Jonathan questioned the reasoning behind the ruling, arguing that the Supreme Court’s actions were equivalent to inverting democracy, which he compared to a cone.

Jonathan went on to say, “When a cone is turned upside down, it cannot stand because any little thing that touches it will fall,” stressing that the nation’s democratic system might be undermined by such rulings.

He said that political party Ward Chairmen having the authority to remove their National Chairmen was against the natural justice concept.

“You can’t tell me that the vice chancellor may be fired by the head of a department.

Ever since the verdict was rendered, many types of instability have been brought about. That ruling is the reason the PDP is currently in disarray. At one point, the APC experienced the same issue.

“Observe how other countries operate; I have never encountered a situation where the principal is disciplined by the sub-unit.

Ex-President Jonathan said, “I am therefore pleading with the Supreme Court to review that judgement because it had turned the cone upside down.”

Shortly after former President Olusegun Obasanjo ushered him to the stage, he delivered the remarks.

Although Obasanjo was initially designated as the event’s chairman, Jonathan was announced as the co-chairman of the event when he accompanied Obasanjo to the stage to deliver his comments.

During his remarks, former President Obasanjo just praised Prof. Ozekhome, SAN, calling him “a radical” as well as “an extraordinary man.”

Mike is a courageous, honest, and fervent supporter of comprehensive or total good change.

Before handing the microphone to Jonathan, Obasanjo said, “That is the man that we have come to honour.”

Before he spoke, Jonathan said he was aware that former President Obasanjo would not want to discuss the topic he brought up about the judiciary and the recent rulings. Jonathan also revealed that he penned the foreword of one of the 50 volumes that were written and brought to the occasion by Ozekhome, SAN.

Obasanjo reclaimed the microphone and stated, “I know that former President Jonathan said that I would not want to say anything,” as the two departed the stage.

“However, I feel that there is still a lot to say and that the time is not right.”