The National Judicial Council (NJC), on Sunday, August 13, 2023, declared that at no time did it ever cede its powers over Judges’ promotion and discipline to State Governors.
The NJC, which stated this on Sunday while debunking a letter purportedly written by it in which it allegedly surrendered its statutory powers and functions over Judges’ appointments and promotions to State Governors, described the letter as fake.
The NJC specifically declared that the purported letter addressed to the Chief Judge of Kebbi State which was allegedly signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, did not emanate from the Council or the CJN who is the Chairman of the Council.
These were contained in a statement by the Director of Information of the NJC, Mr Soji Oye, in which he categorically said that there was no iota of truth whatsoever in the fake letter.
Oye said that NJC had reported the unfortunate incident to the relevant security agencies with a view to investigating and bringing to book whoever is behind this dastardly act, stressing that for the avoidance of doubt and clarification, the National Judicial Council emphatically disclaimed the letter, saying that there was no iota of truth in it and therefore urged members of the public to discountenance the letter and its content.
The NJC’s statement stated in part; “The attention of the National Judicial Council has been drawn to a fake letter dated 14th July 2023, purported to have emanated from the Council, and signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON.
“The fake letter titled “Order of Seniority of Judges of the High Court of Kebbi state and recommendation of Justice Umar Abubakar as the substantive Chief Judge of Kebbi state” addressed to the Chief Judge stating “that under section 10 of the existing law of Kebbi state 1996, His Excellency, the Governor, has the power to determine Seniority of Judges and the National Judicial Council has no power to override or reverse the decision of His Excellency.
“It further stated that “the office of the Head of Court or Chief Judge is purely a political appointment to be decided by the Governor of a state.”
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
