Partisanship: CJN Ariwoola Must Go, CSOs Insist 

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have maintained their ground on the call for the removal of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, over alleged partisanship.

The CSOs under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Societies of Nigeria (CCSN) insisted that the CJN must resign following a political comment he made in Rivers State recently.

The CSOs who had embarked on a peaceful protest to the Supreme Court last week were forcefully dispersed by a detachment of anti-riot policemen of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police.

The coalition had also embarked on protest march to the National Assembly over what they described as the seeming partisanship of the CJN, even as they demanded Ariwoola’s sack if he refuses to resign.

The Coalition is made up of 18 CSOs among which are Civil Society Forum of Nigeria, Nigeria Youth Development Forum, Democratic Youth Initiative, Forum for Social Justice, Movement for the Development of Democracy and Safeguard Nigeria Movement.

Others are Alliance for People’s Welfare, Forward Nigeria Movement, Human Right Crusaders, Defenders of Democracy, Democratic Rights Assembly and Voter’s Rights Assembly.

Addressing another press conference Tuesday in Abuja, the coalition’s team leader, Olayinka Dada, said they have outlined measures and legitimate means through which the CJN should he fail to resign will leave office.

Dada noted that the country needs an impartial umpire to oversee the judiciary and this Nigerians will not compromise.

He said, “Since the CJN visited Port-Harcourt for a project commissioning, the political landscape of Nigeria has witnessed a lot of unease. This is due to the partisan utterances made by CJN Olukayode Ariwoola at the event.

“Our elections are around the corner and Nigerians expect an impartial judicial who most likely will dispense justice where disputations occur before, during and after the polls.

“At the Port-Harcourt event, Chief Justice Ariwoola was quoted as thus: ‘That is why we should not be scared to have these men of the integrity group, and I am happy that my own governor is among them because he would try to imitate his friend and in-law because we came here to marry for my governor. So, Governor Wike will always threaten that he will call back his sister if my governor fails to play ball. That is why you see him following His Excellency because my governor is afraid of his wife being recalled.’

“These statements are enough testimony of the partisanship of the CJN in political dispute involving his friends in a political party out of the 18 parties running for elections in 2023. Nigerians are dissatisfied and confused as to this new twist.

“As we all know, elections results are often contested in courts and in many instances, ends at the Supreme Court. How will the CJN allow honest dispensation of justice if the party and friends he already aligned with are interested parties in such disputes?

Wondering how the CJN would resist the temptations of influencing judgements in favor of his allies, the CSOs asked Nigerians to cross-check whether such a judicial officer would not interfere in politics and deescalate tension that is already building up.

Dada continued: “We are now at a point where Nigerians feel the gains recorded in the new electoral laws and the reforms INEC put in place may be truncated by the judiciary whose head is now fully a politician.

“We demand the CJN’s immediate resignation to save our democracy. To allow the judiciary to have vested interest in politics is to damn representative governance which guarantees people’s choice in electing their preferred leaders.

“We can do better by guaranteeing the processes through an integrity, non partisan, credible judiciary. The CJN has shown this will not be possible with him at the helms of affairs. 2023 means a lot to our citizens and it affords everyone the opportunity to make Nigeria a pride amongst democratic nations.

“Our coalition therefore has outlined measures and legitimate means through which the CJN should he fail to resign will leave office. We need an impartial umpire to oversee the judiciary and this Nigerians will not compromise.”

The groups, however, invited all Nigerians to their zonal rallies commencing next week to seek the resignation of the CJN from his position.

“We hereby wish to invite all Nigerians to our zonal rallies commencing next week to seek the resignation of the CJN from his partisan position.”

Trouble had started for Ariwoola when he made a political statement at a dinner organised in his honour by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who had invited him to commission the Retired Justice Mary Odili’s Auditorium in Port Harcourt last weekend.

He reportedly said he was glad that Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, was a member of G-5, which is a rebellious group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had since kicked against the statement.