By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad has summoned six Chief Judges in the country over the conflicting court orders that emanated in their states in the last one month.
Recall that in a space of one week, while the leadership crisis of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lasted, three high courts of equal jurisdiction in Rivers, Kebbi, and Cross River issued conflicting orders for and against the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, which prevented him from attending the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party that ratified the party’s convention for the end of October.
Justice Mohammad, also Chairman of the National Judicial Council NJC issued the summons to the Chief Judges in Abuja on Monday August 30.
The summons indicated that the affected Chief Judges of State High Courts, are to appear before him as a prelude to the larger one by the NJC to explain what warranted issuance of conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
The summoned Chief Judges are those of Rivers. Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa, and Imo states.
Our correspondent noted that the CJN complained bitterly over the huge embarrassment caused the judiciary by the actions of those who issued the conflicting orders upon ex-parte applications by some political parties.
The summons read in part “My attention has been drawn to media reports to the effect that some Courts of coordinate jurisdiction were granting conflicting Exparte Orders on the same subject matter.
“It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development.
“This is even more compelling having regard to earlier NJC Warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in granting Exparte applications”.
Our source, who pleaded anonymity, confided that the meeting between the CJN and the heads of courts concerned is a prelude to the larger NJC meeting likely to hold next week.
The CJN who was reported to be worried and bitter on the unfortunate development, intends to use the meeting to be abreast of the facts for an informed NJC deliberation.
