Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Kingsley Moghalu, has praised the advancement of legal procedures in America.
In a post on his official X account, @MoghaluKingsley said the conviction of former US President Donald Trump is an indication that no one is above the law in US.
He said: “I am not an American citizen. I have no personal stakes in the country’s electoral politics.
“Americans should elect who will be their President. That said, the conviction of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsification of business records to cover up a personal scandal is a historic illustration of what divides developed societies from backward ones: ACCOUNTABILITY. RULE OF LAW.
“Trump was convicted today by a jury of 12 ordinary Americans who are his peers. The judge will sentence him (one option among others including prison, is that of picking up trash on the street or other types of community service).
“He is not alone. Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, the country’s first and only female president, was convicted by the Constitutional Court of South Korea of abuse of power, bribery and coercion and removed from office in 2017 (she was later pardoned). Israel’s @netanyahu was indicted of bribery and stripped of all government functions except his role as Prime Ministers.
“It’s remarkable that the jury came to a unanimous finding of guilt on ALL 34 counts. Trump will appeal but being a convicted felon on all counts will make it difficult for any court, even America’s increasingly politicized and pro-Trump at New York State court, to acquit him.
“This verdict, unprecedented in the United States, makes clear in a practical manner the principle that no one is above the law. That’s the rule of law in practice, like Trump or hate him.
“The case was decided on the evidence before the jury as laid out by prosecutors. We in countries like Nigeria and many other African countries where supposedly independent judges increasingly bow to elected politicians, where judicial rulings can be procured for the most mischievous ends, and courts can sell their souls and render procured judgments even when they have no jurisdiction, have much road ahead to travel. Wonder not why we are poor.”
