The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, (NJC), Justice Tanko Muhammad has summoned the Chief Judges of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa and Imo State to an emergency meeting.
This is part of efforts to stem the recent wave of embarrassing and conflicting exparte orders emanating from judges in their jurisdictions.
The six-state chief judges summoned are Ijeoma Agugua of Imo state, Chibuzor Amadi of Rivers, Mohammed Ambursa of Kebbi, Onochie Anyachebelu of Anambra, Akon Ikpeme of Cross River, and Umar Sadiq of Jigawa.
In a letter of invitation dated 30th of August, 2021 the CJN summoned the head of the concerned courts to the emergency meeting to brief him on the incessant granting of the conflicting orders on suits instituted by different political parties before the various courts.
A part of the invitation letter reads, “My attention has been drawn to media reports to the effect that some courts of coordinate jurisdictions 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 an earlier NJC warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in grating exparte applications.”
aforementioned chief judges are to appear before the National Judicial Council (NJC) to give reasons why they issued conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction on ex-parte motions filed by some political parties.
“It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development. This is even more compelling having regard to an earlier NJC warning to Judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in granting an ex-parte application,” the invite said.
Recall that on August 25, a state High Court sitting in Kebbi ordered Uche Secondus to return to his position as national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), days after an order stopping him from parading himself as the PDP chairman was issued by Justice O. Gbasam of Rivers state High Court on August 23.
On August 27, another High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River, granted an order restraining Mr Secondus from resuming office as PDP national chairman.
