Human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, was the cynosure of all eyes at the Senate of Friday, disclosing that he would unbound the country’s Supreme Court for speedy administration of justice if he is assigned to Ministry of Justice.
Keyamo, a ministerial nominee from Delta State spoke while responding to questions at the Senate during screening, presided over by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
He also said Nigeria has too many frivolous political parties, recommending that not all the political parties should be allowed to participate in presidential elections.
According to him, “ If I am made the attorney general, I have the idea I call the three Ds that will be at the heart of judicial reforms – decongestion of Supreme Court, decongestion of prisons and decongestion of cause lists in courts.
“ Nigerian supreme court is the busiest in the world and that is not acceptable.
“My first task will be to unbound it. Some of the cases that go there are frivolous. This country is big enough to have six regional courts,” he said.
He said the case diary of the Supreme Court has been filed up to 2022, except for political cases.
Keyamo who was the spokesperson of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign council in 2015, also said Nigeria has too many frivolous political parties, recommending that not all the political parties should be allowed to participate in presidential elections.
“ I think we can strike a balance that for new parties to be registered, you must show capacity at the local level. And until the party wins a seat at a particular level, you cannot run for an office in the next level up to the presidential election,” he said.
He also said that Magistrates should be given the powers to grant bail even in matters involving murder when there is no evidence at the early stage.
“Our constitution is replete with mistakes. We should amend the law to make the powers of the attorney general and DPP subject to judicial review. It is subject to abuse when people accused of abuse are freed,” he said.
Keyamo said he was a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying “the party was formed in his house”