No Room For Recklessness, CJN Warns Election Tribunals

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, has said he will not condone any act of recklessness or abuse of power and public trust from judicial officers.

Justice Ariwoola, during the swearing-in of members of the 2023 Election Petition Tribunals yesterday in Abuja, called on them to be counted worthy to be entrusted with the responsibilities they are saddled with.

“Your Lordships should count yourselves worthy to be so entrusted with this humongous responsibility of deciding the fate of those that would be contesting elections into various political offices in the country in 2023.

“You are not known to possess some supernatural powers to perform wonders, I can confidently assure you that the society will certainly expect the impossible from you as members of Election Petition Tribunals.

“Therefore, I will not condone any act of recklessness, abuse of power and public trust. This is a rare privilege and you must give a good account of yourselves’’.

According to the CJN, “there is virtually nothing that has not been seen or heard before, but you should be ready to see and hear more, especially as you begin to adjudicate on election matters in 2023.

“Even though I rejoice with you on this very important appointment, I still sympathise with you for the many troubles, inconveniences, verbal assaults and all sorts of uncomplimentary remarks that will be made about you by various litigants.

“We are all human, no doubt, but you display the humanism in you by doing those extraordinary things that people would ordinarily say you cannot do.

“That is what distinguishes those with integrity and passion for success from those with unenviable pedigree and dysfunctional moral compass’’.

He noted that trust is a burden but judicial officers must discharge it with utmost sincerity, honesty and transparency because conscience is an open wound.”