Nigeria, July 26 -- Much has been made of Justice Binta Nyako's judgement in the case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v The Clerk of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and others. Many have argued that it is the ambiguity, non-definitive, and non-declaratory nature of the 'judgment' that has led to the confusion that has since then ensued, culminating in the embarrassing public spectacle we witnessed a few days ago.

Having now taken time to review the full judgment, not just the extracts that first came out, I have come to a different conclusion on the matter. Rather, I am of the opinion that what we are dealing with is a case of contrived ambiguity and manufactured confusion. A dispassionate reading can only lea...