US ex-President Trump has fought many battles. He battled his party’s structures to win the presidential primaries. He worked against all odds to be elected the president. Going to the courthouse was a regular routine. Largely, he has been just fine. But something is brewing here as Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, files a “fraud lawsuit” against the former president.
People, it is like the Commissioner of Justice/ Attorney General of Ogun State going against Obasanjo or the Bayelsa state equivalent against Jonathan? Is that possible in Nigeria? NOT POSSIBLE.
This post is not about Trump (he will be fine, lawyers need to pay bills). I am focusing on the contrast of the judiciary “separation from the executive arm”, making it possible for a state AG to have the boldness to summon and file charges against a former president. We are still reading the book titled “Democracy” in Nigeria; we’re just in Chapter 1 with nine chapters waiting. Hope we can get to Chapter 3 before 2030!
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Donald Trump and three of his children have been hit with a fraud lawsuit after a New York investigation into their family company – the Trump Organization. It alleges that they lied “by billions” about the value of real estate in order to get loans and pay less tax. Prosecutors say the Trump Organization committed numerous acts of fraud between 2011-21.
Mr Trump has dismissed the lawsuit as “another witch hunt”. The former president’s eldest children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric Trump, were also named as defendants alongside two executives at the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney. The lawsuit has been brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is the state’s most senior lawyer, after a three-year civil investigation. Her office does not have the power to file criminal charges, but is referring allegations of criminal wrongdoing to federal prosecutors and to the Internal Revenue Service.
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What we are still practising here is Elders Council, where seniority in age trumps all other valid reasons and decency. And it has become very clear in this particular electoral season.
It is where folks in APC chastised Yemi Osinbajo, for being a traitor, his crime? For declaring to run for the office of the president, in election where he supposed principal – Tinubu had declared interest. Osinbajo is over 60 years old, but in Nigeria’s Elders Council, he’s not yet of age, it is not yet his turn.
It is also where the folks in the PDP called Peter Obi a betrayer, for daring to run for president, when he should have supported his supposed principal – Atiku, who somewhat received divine mandate to always run for president. Obi is 61, but he’s not yet of age…
That is the sort of culture we entrench here, and you see the miseducated bunch on this very platform supporting such nonsense, and they are never embarrassed. It’s why creating State Police is a problem, because the state governors will abuse it, and where do governors derive the powers to abuse state institutions? Nobody has explained.
For a start, the office of AG should be electable office, we do not even need the president or governor appointing the occupants.