“I Don’t Blame Judges” – Gabriel Suswam Reacts to Sack as Senator by Appeal Court

Former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan has blamed the system for his sack as Senator representing Benue North-East zone.

Suswan, who was sacked by the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, said that the judges were not to blame for the ruling.

“I don’t actually place the blame on the judges because given the condition and the environment under which they work, we would not expect anything much from the judiciary except when their working conditions are enhanced,” Suswan said during a programme on Arise TV.

“So, I don’t blame the judges on my case, but I blame the system. There’s a problem with the system.”

Suswan’s sack came after the Court of Appeal dismissed the judgement of the election tribunal which ruled that he was the validly elected senator of Benue North East Senatorial District.

The appellate court voided the judgement of the tribunal, saying it found merit in the appeal that was lodged before it by the APC candidate.

Reacting to the ruling, Suswan said that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) has a lot to do in terms of bringing the judges to sit down together and look at some of the new statutes that have been passed by the National Assembly and assented by the president.

“It’s expected that as the interpreters of statues, they should be on top of that game,” he said.

Suswan also said that the judiciary is highly discounted and that their working conditions need to be enhanced.

“There are a lot of issues in this country that we shouldn’t just limit it just because we lost election in court and then put the whole blame on the judges,” he said.

“Coming to my own situation, I won the case at the tribunal. And that’s what I’m saying. The same interpretation, the same section that gave me victory at the tribunal in Benue was interpreted differently at the Apex Court. My concern is that if that continues, the confidence in judiciary will continue to erode.”