Emmanuel OchayiAtedo Peterside, the Founder of Stanbic IBTC and Anap Foundation, has voiced his support for the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” slogan, asserting that it should not be considered offensive to a right-thinking individual.
Peterside’s comment comes in the wake of a recent controversy surrounding billboards and the dissolution of the Advertising Standards Panel by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
The phrase gained popularity in recent months, appearing on billboards around Abuja amid proceedings of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi are challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinubu was declared the winner of the keenly contested February 25 election after scoring 8,794,726 votes against Abubakar’s 6,984,520 votes and Obi’s 6,101,533.
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Peterside endorsed the idea behind the slogan, emphasizing its neutral nature and its relevance in a civilized society.
“For the record, methinks #AllEyesOnTheJudiciary is a neutral slogan that should ordinarily not offend a right-thinking & sincere person in a civilized society.”
Peterside’s perspective aligns with the notion that the phrase encourages public vigilance and awareness about the judiciary’s activities without inherently passing a negative judgment.
The debate surrounding the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” slogan gained momentum following ARCON’s decision to dissolve its Advertising Standards Panel amid disagreements over billboard content.
The controversy stirred discussions on the appropriateness of the slogan and its potential implications on the outcome of the ongoing judicial process.
Peterside acknowledged the legitimacy of differing viewpoints but distinguished the neutrality of the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” mantra and other more critical slogans.
“I can understand someone rejecting a negative slogan like ‘Let us turn our noses up at the Judiciary’. Enough said,” he further stated.
The statement by Atedo Peterside reflects a perspective that advocates a balanced and informed public discourse regarding the judiciary’s role in society. As discussions continue surrounding the relationship between language, public perception, and institutional oversight, stakeholders from various sectors are engaging in dialogues to shape the narrative constructively.
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