The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), yesterday called for the resignation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Oluwakayode Ariwoola, over his alleged partisanship and tacit endorsement of governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and four other governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as G-5 governors, that are insisting that the national chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, a northerner, must step down for a southerner for the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to enjoy their support in the 2023 general election.
The group called on legislative and executive arms of government to come out of their present docility by initiating urgent processes for stripping the Ariwoola of the title of the CJN in order to restore the integrity of the judiciary and reclaim public confidence in the Justice system.
National coordinator of CNG, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, who made the call in Abuja, at a press briefing, said that if the CJN fails to resign honourably, it will go to any length to ensure that he is sacked, including writing to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the National Assembly.
He said: “Federal government that was quick to administer disciplinary measures on former Chief Justices Walters Samuel Nkanu Onneghen and Tanko Mohammed for less grievous allegations, now appear inactive in the face of the more grievous breach of the CJN dragging the nation’s judiciary into an embarrassing political situation by being outright partisan.”
“The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has watched with considerable restraint the events unfolding since the remark by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Oluwakayode Ariwoola that tends to ridiculously and blatantly drag the entire judiciary into partisanship.
“In the CNG’s tradition of restraint we waited for more than four days since the CJN made the remarks endorsing the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s apparent rebellion against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The CNG is worried that several days after the CJN’s costly gaffe that confirms the assertion that some judges are no better than politicians in black robes, both the NJC, the executive and legislative arms of government have not reacted.
“It is curious that while the erring CJN could not muster the necessary decency to resign honourably and apologize to Nigerians, the legislative and executive arms of government also appear complicit. The Federal Government that was quick to administer disciplinary measures on former Chief Justices Walters Samuel Nkanu Onneghen and Tanko Mohammed for less grievous allegations, now appear inactive in the face of the more grievous breach of the CJN dragging the nation’s judiciary into an embarrassing political situation by being outright partisan.”
It said from whichever technical prism the nation looks at it, the negative impact of the CJN’s unguarded remark expressing joy that the governor of his (Oyo) State, Seyi Makinde, had continued to support Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers in the coalition of five governors, cannot be missed. The CNG said it is concerned that the CJN had cast serious doubts around his personal integrity and the expectations for the judiciary to maintain neutrality in whatever circumstances.
“This remark has clearly exposed the Chief Justice of Nigeria as incapable or unprepared to dispense impartial justice in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which further expose the federal government incapacity and/ or lacking in the political will and capacity to check action that are detrimental to such. If the Chief dispenser of Justice would so callously expose his parson and by implication, the nation’s judiciary to such level of moral and ethical corruption by being outright partisan, the court shall cease to be the temple of justice and the last hope for the nation, a development that is detrimental to the healthy growth of our country’s democracy,” it said.
