BY BINZAK AZEEZ
Many a time, the public only keeps an eagle eye on Nigeria’s executive arm of government, precisely the country’s president and state governors, whereas, the full composition of government includes the legislature and the judiciary. Over the years, little or no attention is paid to both the heads of the federal upper and lower legislatures, the speakers of state legislatures and the various heads of the judiciary.
Though the rumour of a clandestine rendezvous between the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may have some mischievous intents or political undertones, it is pertinent that every progressive and patriotic Nigerian examines the rumour beyond the negative scope of interpretation.
Conspicuously, the integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary has been undergoing some questioning prior to the unholy and political alliance accusation against the CJN.
The integrity of Nigeria’s judiciary has just been tested through the allegation leveled against Justice Ariwoola.
In this particular phase of integrity test, it is visible to every progressive mind that Justice Ariwoola overcame the public trial through photo evidence released by some journalists and a well detailed account of the CJN foreign trips given by the Supreme Court’s spokesperson.
Justice Ariwoola was tried and came out victorious in the court of public opinion. It has been a longstanding tradition of the good people of Nigeria to prosecute public officers and give a conviction or acquittal verdict in the court of public opinion based on available information via circumstantial or concrete evidence.
The members of the public who accepted the unfounded allegation against the CJN hook, line and sinker and wrongly convicted him could not be totally faulted on the basis of circumstantial evidence.
In the build up to the just concluded general elections, Justice Ariwoola visited Rivers State for the commission of some judiciary projects.
“The members of the public who accepted the unfounded allegation against the CJN hook, line and sinker and wrongly convicted him could not be totally faulted on the basis of circumstantial evidence”
It was unfortunate that the CJN unconsciously dabbled into partisan politics in a dinner organized in his honour.
The CJN publicly commended Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Executive Governor of Oyo State, for being a member of the factional group of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) five governors. The CJN also fell into the trap of unconscious political campaigns at the event.
In other developed nations, this singular gaffe of Justice Kayode Ariwoola is capable of generating intense national uproar which would lead to his forceful retirement. The gravity of the CJN partisan public conduct therefore justifies the public apprehension and hasty conclusion on the blatant fabrication against him.
Rather than instilling fear in the mind of members of the public for spreading propaganda against the CJN, the members of the judiciary need to comport themselves in the international standards that boost public confidence. This is the only means to safeguard the heritage and sanctity of the judiciary.
In 2013, the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka, Shirani Bandaranayake, was unceremoniously dismissed from office. In 2014, the Maldivian executive arbitrarily removed Ahmed Faiz Hussain, the Chief Justice of the country from office despite the fact that Article 154 of the Maldivian Constitution only empowers its Judicial Service Commission to exercise such disciplinary powers. In 2022, President Saied of Tunisia unconstitutionally dissolved the country’s Supreme Judiciary Council.
None of the above-mentioned abuses of executive powers went unchallenged by the citizens of those nations. It was only in Nigeria where history repeated itself twice on the unceremonious removal of her Chief Justice and the public felt unperturbed.
In 1975, the military regime of Gen. Murtala Muhammed sacked Chief Justice Taslim Elias from office and the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration removed Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen from office in 2019.
No amount of political propaganda, coordinated attacks and hidden gimmicks would have sufficed or stood against any Nigeria’s Chief Justice if the judicial institution has truly demonstrated the roles of an impartial umpire and a reflection of the people’s will.
Azeez writes from Newworth LLP (Legal Practitioners), Onikan, Lagos.
CAVEAT: Views and opinions expressed here are those of the writers and are not in any way those of The Point Newspaper – Editor
