News
You’ve messed up the judiciary, retiring judge blasts CJN *Cites exclusion of S’East from S’Court
Published
1 year agoon

“My lords, distinguished invitees, ladies and gentlemen, it is obvious that the judiciary I am exiting from is far from the one l voluntarily joined and desired to serve and be identified with. The institution has become something else,” were part of the exact words with which Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, until last Friday, Justice of the Supreme Court, came down heavily on Olukayode Ariwola, his colleague at the apex court and currently the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), stopping short at directly calling him a corrupt judge, but left little unsaid, regardless.
On the same day he retired from the apex court, after a 40-year stretch at the judiciary, Muhammad, loosened his tongue to reveal activities at the highest court in the land, with damning verdict linked to Ariwola’s handling of his job as the CJN, including nebulous handling of its funds of the court.
While delivering his address at the valedictory session, before a large audience, comprising his colleagues at the Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN), other judges at the various courts down the ladder, lawyers and stakeholders in the country, he accused Ariwola of abusing his power, citing particularly, his deliberate exclusion of Igbo judges from the apex court bench.
Stressing how the CJN possessed absolute power over the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC), the National Judicial Institute (NJI), and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), he regretted its misuse by the CJN in appointing judges and other judicial officials, as well as to control the budget of the third arm of government.
Citing a situation where the Supreme Court comprised only judges from the South West, South-South, North West with none from the South-East, he said such a situation was clearly antithetical to democratic principles and unhelpful to Nigeria’s diversity, adding that even the North-Central, where he came from had suffered the same fate, since Ariwola had refused to appoint his replacement, even when he was aware of his impending exit.
Accusing the CJN of using this power to his advantage and the detriment of the judiciary, he pointed out how ignoring the South East from the apex court, even though the zone was entitled to seats in it, he said the action was a direct threat to the principle of representation, which the judiciary must reflect, a situation he added had weakened public confidence in the judiciary.
His words: “To ensure justice and transparency in presidential appeals from the lower court, all geopolitical zones are required to participate in the hearing. It is therefore dangerous for democracy and equity for two entire regions to be left out in the decisions that will affect the generality of Nigerians. This is not what our laws envisaged. Justice Chima Centus Nweze died on July 29, 2023, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, died on July 7, 2021, and since then, no appointment has been made to fill the vacuum.
“The South East no longer has any presence at the Supreme Court” he said, adding “it has been two years and seven months since the previous justice from the South East died and no appointment was made. Also, it was clear ab-initio that I will be leaving the court this day on attaining the statutory age of 70. It is then not in doubt that there has been sufficient time for suitable replacements to have been appointed. This is yet to occur. It is evident that the decision not to fill the vacancies in the court is deliberate. It is all about the absolute powers vested in the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the responsible exercise of the same.”
Muhammad, who also revealed his personal experience as the next in command to Ariwola, before his retirement, stressed that the absolute powers the CJN enjoyed over the appointments in the NJC, FJSC, NJI, the LPPC, responsible for the appointment of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), could only breed corruption.
Regarding himself, he said his role as the next most senior justice of the apex court before his retirement, was no better than the ugly fate of a deputy governor who was not consulted by his principal over any decision.
“As chair of the NJC, FJSC, NJI and LPPC, appointments as council, board and committee members are at his pleasure. He neither confers with fellow justices nor seeks their counsel or input on any matter related to these bodies. He has both the final and the only say. The CJN has power to appoint 80 percent of members of the council and 60 percent of members of FJSC. The same applies to NJI and LPPC. Such enormous powers are effortlessly abused. This needs to change,” he said, calling for the reduction of the CJN’s powers.
Warning of how the continued denial of the existence of this threatening anomaly weakened effective judicial oversight in Nigeria, called for improved welfare of judicial officers, adding that beyond the issue of judicial officers’ salaries that had remained static for 15 years, what the judiciary die with its allocations in the budget ought to be scrutinised as well.
“Who is responsible for the expenditure? An unrelenting searchlight needs to be beamed to unravel how the sums are expended. President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 ordered the forceful entry into the houses and the arrest of justices some of whom were serving at the apex court. Not done, in 2019 the government accosted, arrested and arraigned the incumbent Chief Justice before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged underhand conduct. With his retirement apparently negotiated, he was eventually let off the hook.
“In 2022, in a letter signed by all the other justices of the Supreme Court, including the current Chief Justice, the aggrieved protested against the shabby treatment meted to them by the head of court and the Chief Registrar. At the centre of the friction was their welfare and the cavalier attitude of the Chief Registrar thereto. In the event, his lordship Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad disengaged ostensibly on grounds of ill-health.
“Now, it must be said, Chief Femi Falana is right that the safeguard in our appointment procedures against judicial appointments for improper motives is increasingly being compromised. Certainly, by Rule 8.3 of the Judicial Code of Conduct “any judge who takes advantage of his judicial office for personal gain or for gain by his or her relative or relation abuses the power vested in him!!!.
Regretting a situation where the Chief Registrar earned N1.2 million per month as against the take home N751,000 for the judges, he said: “That the unjust and embarrassing salary difference between the justices and the Chief Registrar still abides remains intriguing to say the least. Valedictory session after valedictory session lapses and challenges that should be nipped are restated to no avail. Why the silence and seeming contentment?”
He added: “A couple of years ago, appointment to the bench was strictly on merit. Sound knowledge of the law, integrity, honour, and hard work distinguished those who were elevated. Lobbying was unheard of. I never lobbied, not at any stage of my career, to secure any appointment or elevation. As much as possible the most qualified men and women were appointed. That can no longer be said about appointments to the bench.
“The judiciary must be uniquely above board. Appointments should not be polluted by political, selfish, and sectional interests. The place of merit, it must be urged, cannot be over-emphasised. Public perceptions of the judiciary have over the years become witheringly scornful and monstrously critical. It has been in the public space that court officials and judges are easily bribed by litigants to obviate delays and or obtain favourable judgments.”
“Recently, fresh allegations have been made that children and other relatives of serving and retired judges and justices are being appointed into judicial offices at the expense of more qualified candidates lacking in such privilege and backing. It is asserted that the process of appointment to judicial positions are deliberately conducted to give undue advantage to the ‘children, spouses, and mistresses’ of serving and retired judges and managers of judicial offices. At the Court of Appeal, it is also asserted, presiding Justices are now being appointed out of turn.”
“A number of respected senior members of the bar inter alia, citing the Ahmed Lawan, the former President of the Senate and Imo governorship appeals, claim that decisions of even the apex court have become unpredictable. It is difficult to understand how and where, by these decisions, the judicial pendulum swings. It was not so before, they contended.
“In some quarters the view is strongly held that filth and intrigues characterize the institution these days! Judges are said to be comfortable in companies they never would have kept in the past. It is being insinuated that some judicial officers even campaign for the politicians. It cannot be more damnifying! The judiciary I just retired from is way below the standard compared to when I joined. There must be urgent judicial reforms.”
On his part CJN, who spared no words in eulogising the retiring jurist while acknowledging the difficulties in the judiciary, including the fact that how the apex court now posted the lowest justices in its history (10 instead of 21), maintained that Muhammad would still be remembered for his intellectual prowess, regardless.
“With Justices Musa Dattijo leaving us today after the retirement of Hon. Justice Adamu Amina Augie a few weeks ago, we are now left with just 10 Justices on the Supreme Court Bench; being the lowest we have ever had in contemporary history of the Court.
“However, I can confidently assure all the litigant public that efforts are in top gear to get on board a sizable number of Justices to boost our rank and complement the tremendous effort we have been investing in the business of the Court. I am so emotionally overwhelmed, and at the same time, profusely exhilarated to personally witness this uncommon valedictory session.
“This is not because I have never witnessed or presided over valedictory sessions before; but for the fact that we are honouring a quintessential judicial icon with dazzling qualities and alluring stature who could, in one breath, be classified as a model of excellence that transcends the legal profession.
“My Lord Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad in whose honour we assemble here today, is an epitome of jurisprudential finesse; an insuperable lion with an irrepressible voice in the temple of justice.”

You may like
-
On Tinubu, you’re on your own, ACF tells Ganduje *We’re wiser now
-
Natasha unveils 150 free JAMB forms, five scholarships after Tuface’s engagement
-
Canada hits Nigerian military! *Denies CDS, others visa *They can go to hell – Ribadu
-
Senate gives Tinubu 2025 budget *Pegs capital spending at N23.96 trillion
-
You’ve damaged Annie, you won’t abandon her like that – women drag Tuface
-
Adesina recants: I never said I will challenge Tinubu in 2027
News
On Tinubu, you’re on your own, ACF tells Ganduje *We’re wiser now
Published
9 hours agoon
February 13, 2025
It does not lie in the mouth of Abdullahi Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or any othe party’s big-wigs from the North to corral the people into voting for President Bola Tinubu in 2027, as the people were now wiser and more prudent to make crucial decisions.
This much was delivered by Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a pro-North socio-political organisation, as a clapback to the assurance of Ganduje, former Governor of Kano State to the effect that the people would have no choice but to allow the President do two terms in office as was allowed Muhammadu Buhari, his predecessor.
The PUNCH, in a report, quoted ACF and other northern leaders as declaring that no individual could claim to be the mouthpiece of the North and, as such, it was wrong for the ACF boss to ask the North to wait till 2031 before vying for the Presidency.
Ganduje who spoke on Tuesday, urging politicians nursing presidential ambition in 2027 to bury the idea, as Tinubu would complete two terms in office, told a delegation of the Tinubu Media Centre and Tinubu Northern Youth Forum at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja that it would be unfair to deny Tinubu the chance of being re-elected after a fellow northerner was allowed to finish his tenure of eight years.
His words: “When a leader from the northern part of this country was in office for eight years, we advocated that the next president in our party should come from the south. Luckily enough, we worked very hard with the cooperation of Nigerians. Our president has come from the south and is going, Insha Allah, for a second term come 2027. And after that, it will be the turn of the northern part of this country.”
The PUNCH, however quoted Tukur Muhammad-Baba,National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, as saying that the comment credited to the former governor was a reflection of the cult-like nature of the presidency, where allegiance to the president is paramount.
His words: “Given the nature of the Presidency, it has become something like a cult; a personality cult and allegiance to the president because it looks like the president wants total allegiance and nothing else.
“We are in the season of politics and you should expect that those who are near the corridors of power should express those things. But it’s not constitutional.
“There’s nothing new in what Ganduje said. So many people have said so before. Not too long ago, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume said the same thing that northerners should forget about it until 2031.
“He or she or party members cannot influence voters by force. So, what he said was an opinion and his personal opinion and it’s up to the voters to endorse, reject or modify what he said. I think voters are becoming wise as to where the president comes from. In 2015, we were sold a dummy of anti-corruption.
“We were sold a dummy of many things and people have realised that it wasn’t true. Then, of course, the Renewed Hope came in 2023 and the hope is turning into a nightmare. What will sell President Bola Tinubu, I think and I hope, is not whether he will contest or not, it will be his policies and their impact on the people. If they buy it, fine.”
Mallam Salihu Lukman, former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), who echoed the same sentiment, was also quoted as saying: “El-Rufai is not saying anything different from what I have been saying all thise while. The only difference is that he is talking for the North while I talk for the whole country.”
Also, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has declared once again that he remains the right candidate for President in the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to Ganduje’s admonition for the North to wait till 2031 for Tinubu to finish his second term before aspiring for the Presidency, Mohammed, who spoke through his Commissioner for Natural Resources Development, Maiwada Bello, described Ganduje’s comment as silly.
Bello urged the youths to rally around Governor Mohammed, saying that he had set a national precedent by appointing more youths into key positions in government than any other governor in Nigeria.
The commissioner said the Bauchi governor’s bold move underscores his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment and inclusive governance, adding that he deserves the collective support of the Nigerian populace to propel him to the country’s highest political office in 2027.
He said, “We are committed to building a government that reflects the energy and innovation of the youth. No other administration in the country has given young people as many opportunities to serve in high-level positions as my administration.”
In an interview, a former ally-turned-foe of the President Tinubu, Babachir Lawal, affirmed that the North can never forgive Tinubu over the manner he allegedly brought suffering to the region through his nail-biting reforms.
The former SGF reiterated El-Rufai’s warning that the North is massively mobilising its people ahead of the 2027 polls.
He stated, “The North is seriously mobilising with a consensus that Bola Tinubu must give way in the 2027 election. This is no doubt about the consensus. There’s no argument about that. I may not have been supporting El-Rufai’s position. But on this one, I will join him to see how we can stop Bola Tinubu from winning the 2027 election. Because if he does win, you know there will be one large refugee camp.’
“So, there’s that consensus. Everybody understands that if we are to continue with these policies for another four years, northern Nigeria will become one large refugee camp. So, there’s a consensus that for self-preservation alone, we must look for another candidate.”
Babachir said the state of origin of the candidate doesn’t matter, noting that the important thing is for the candidate to understand the need for one Nigeria.
He added, “Now, that is where quite a number of people think that it is only right to find someone who is patriotic and sees Nigeria as one, even if it’s from the South or the North. Some want it to come from the South while others are saying we cannot take the risk of bringing a southerner for self-preservation alone. So, that is where the divergence is.
“But we all agree that we must look for a substitute for Bola Tinubu. Unfortunately, quite a lot of people like Ganduje and other northerners benefiting directly from this government are just irritants. They are people who are talking to justify their positions in this rogue government. So they are justifying their place in it not caring what the other parts of northern Nigeria are going through.
“So, if we can get a good southerner that can rule with equity, we are okay. It’s not actually about the elite consensus. It’s about the masses and what they are saying at the bottom. Even if some elite pretend to be supporting Bola, they will not vote for him because they are the ones at the receiving end of this thing. They are also the ones directing us, political elites of northern origin, to make sure this man doesn’t have a second chance.”
Commenting on the development, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain and lawmaker representing Benue South Senatorial District, Abba Moro, also observed that what is playing out is an alignment of forces ahead of the electoral contest.
Moro also noted that El-Rufai and Ganduje’s remarks smacked of political alignment
He said, “There are several fireworks that are going on in the political firmament at the moment. These are attempts at alignment and realignment. Ambitions are on display and people are expressing sentiments in line with their ambitions.
“My take is that with time, the picture will become clearer as to the direction of things takes shape. Nigerians will make up their minds as to where to go. Don’t forget that this present government is barely a year and a few months old.”
However, taking a different position on the matter, a former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, submitted that El-Rufai and Ganduje do not speak for the North.
He said, “There is nothing controversial about the statements of the two. This is because none of the two people you have mentioned speaks for the North in so far as partisan politics is concerned. This is because the North can be united politically on issues of real concern to northerners but when it comes to partisan politics, the North does not act in unison.”
He recalled that in the Second Republic, “Shehu Shagari contested against Nnamdi Azikiwe of the Nigeria People’s Party while Obafemi Awolowo of Unity Party of Nigeria from the South and with Mallam Aminu Kano of Peoples Redemption Party from Kano and Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim of famous ‘politics without bitterness’ from the North joined forces together.
“During the third and the current Fourth Republics, the North voted for Moshood Abiola against their son, Bashir Tofa, and voted for Bola Tinubu in 2023 from the South against the son of the soil, Atiku Abubakar. This should also inform political pundits that the North can use contingency in its approach to politics depending on the situation on the ground,” he elaborated.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Malam Falalu Bello, expressed disappointment that El-Rufai and Ganduje were playing ethnic or religious politics.
Bello said though the constitution of the country gives Tinubu the privilege of running for re-election, the PRP would field a sellable candidate in 2027.
He said, “The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not allow for an eight-year term for the President of the Federal Republic but a four-year term which for President Ahmed Bola Tinubu comes to an end in 2027 at the end of which he must face the Nigerian electorate to seek for another mandate.
“The PRP had a candidate in the presidential elections of 2023 who came 8th out of the 19 presidential candidates and would, Insha Allah, field its presidential candidate in the 2027 election to face President Tinubu or whoever APC decides as its candidate and our choice will be any Nigerian to bring good governance to Nigerians.”
The Immediate past Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Benue State, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, warned El-Rufai to stop heating the polity with his posturing as the mouthpiece of the north.
The PDP chieftain said playing the south against the North in the name of promoting the interest of the region is an ill wind that will bring no good.
He said, “So I asked again, who are the northerners? Are they Almajiris who are the real face of poverty or El-Rufai, whose children are part of the bourgeois? I think one of his sons is in the House of Reps, right? You have his children in the upper echelons of life. He wants you to understand that he and his children and those Talakawa and the downtrodden are all North.
“He should basically be trying to pacify certain areas where he has caused so much strife within the polity of that state. El-Rufai had placed himself in a larger perspective in the eyes of Nigerians as an ethnic and religious extremist. He’s not the sort of person that should be talking about the north and the south dichotomy. As far as I’m concerned, he’s only leading a crusade in the wrong direction.”
The National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, described the claim that Tinubu brought poverty to the North as laughable.
He said, “First and foremost, El-Rufai and others cannot speak for the North. Lukman, on the other hand, is a hireling of El-Rufai. So, whatever he says is from the same person and the way they going about it is laughable. I don’t know when El-Rufai turned himself to the mouthpiece of the north.
“He should, first of all, go and make peace with the Kaduna chapter of the APC before talking about national leadership. Then two, this idea of trying to represent the North is for his personal and egoistic interest because when you look at the structure of government we have in place now, you cannot be saying anybody is anti-north.
“The Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, the national chairman of the party, the Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, deputy senate president, and key other ones from the North. So, we don’t know what they meant meant. This is not even a military government. It’s a democratic one.
“The structure and setup of the Nigerian Constitution does not even facilitate or allow marginalisation of any part of the country. There’s no northern state that does not have members in the Federal Executive Council. So, where did El-Rufai and others come up with their theory of Tinubu being anti-North? Even as we speak, the North now North-West, North-East and North Central Development Commissions. All of them have been activated?”
The APC scribe emphasised that El-Rufai was free to exit the APC if he so wished without levelling any false claim.
Basiru also advised that the former governor should have been engaging in penance over the manner he managed Kaduna State amid the turbulence, killings and rife state of insecurity that rocked the state under his watch.
“We all know he is working together with Atiku. He should not divert from the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President. He has also been going about alleging that they want to arrest him and put him in a dungeon. Who does that in a democratic society? The president is a detribalised Nigeria.
“That was why the Federal Government also gave out N150bn support to Kaduna State. But El-Rufai turned around and claimed it was a bribe to Governor Uba Sani. We are talking about funds that will benefit farmers and the agricultural structure in the state. Rather than commending the federal government and seeing it as charitable, he is labelling it as a bribe to his governor.’’
News
Natasha unveils 150 free JAMB forms, five scholarships after Tuface’s engagement
Published
13 hours agoon
February 13, 2025
Even while currently in the heat of the public storm over her current blistering love affair Natasha Osawaru, Deputy Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, has moved to endear herself with her constituency with the announcement of the purchase of 150 free JAMB registration forms on a first-come, first-served basis to students of the state.
Osarawu, whose love affair with Innocent Idibia, Nigeria’s iconic and award-winning singer, popularly known as Tuface, is on top of social discussions in the country, at the moment, made the announcement in a video, which surfaced on Thursday, the same day she received an engagement from the popular artist.
She said in the video that she would also award scholarships to the top five students with the highest JAMB scores, covering their university education, a rare outing from the legislature in Nigeria, very low on public-spirited gestures in recent years.
She said: “The time has come again to push education into another level. With my fronts as a politician, I will be offering 150 JAMB registration forms for Edo State. It will be first come first serve. The 5 most intelligent students with the best score, I will sponsor their education.”
It is not known whether the gesture is purely a measure of philanthropy, political or appreciation for finally attaining the status of a wife-to-be to the singer, who announced recently that he was divorcing Annie Idibia, nee Macaulay, his childhood love.
News
Canada hits Nigerian military! *Denies CDS, others visa *They can go to hell – Ribadu
Published
13 hours agoon
February 13, 2025
What appears to indicate the new rating of Nigeria on the global stage came to the fore on Thursday with report that Canada denied the topmost echelon of the country’s military, including Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), to visit the country.
But in a swift riposte, Nigeria has clapped back through the Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser, who brushed off the obvious snub, with an equally disparaging message to the North-American country – go to hell!
Musa, the head of the Nigerian military, had briefed the NSA, himself a retired top police officer, about the snub during the maiden annual lecture of the National Association of the Institute for Security Studies (AANISS), held at the Shehu Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, on Thursday, leading to his angry retort.
Ribadu, pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in expressing his strong disapproval over the incident, maintained that such a treatment would not affect Nigeria’s march to greatness.
Musa, who though did not give reasons for the rejection of the visa application, explained that the delegation of the top military echelon was going to honour of an invitation for war veterans in Canada, adding that while half of the delegation, including himself, was denied visas, others were allowed into the country.
Describing the incident as disappointing, but served as a reminder for Nigeria to stand strong as a nation and not be taken for granted, Musa had told the NSA: “Every disappointment is a blessing. Yesterday, I was meant to be in Canada. There’s an event to honour our veterans, those who were injured during battles, and we were meant to be there. We were invited with our team. Half has gone and half has been denied. It’s very disappointing.”
Replying Ribadu, commended the CDS for speaking out about the incident, saying: “Thank you for the courage to say Canada denied you visas. They can go to hell.”
Restating that despite the disappointment, Nigeria remained “peaceful and strong” and must work hard to overcome such challenges, Ribadu also praised the CDS for providing “purposeful leadership” in the war against terrorism, banditry, and other security threats in the country.
News Editor:
08054103450
February 14, 2025 6:14 am



February 14, 2025 6:14 am

On Tinubu, you’re on your own, ACF tells Ganduje *We’re wiser now

Natasha unveils 150 free JAMB forms, five scholarships after Tuface’s engagement

Canada hits Nigerian military! *Denies CDS, others visa *They can go to hell – Ribadu

Trending
-
News2 weeks ago
How Ige signed his death warrant – Bisi Akande *I’ve secrets I won’t reveal
-
News3 weeks ago
BREAKING: Afe Babalola bows at last, withdraws case against Farotimi!
-
News2 weeks ago
No amount of money will save Tinubu! He’ll end like Jonathan – Gabam
-
News3 days ago
Roforofo fight! Where was your conscience when you gave Wike award, defiant Bwala fires Arise TV
-
News1 week ago
I’m coming for you, Trump warns Ramaphosa, S’Africa
-
News3 weeks ago
Sowore opts for police detention *I won’t trade my freedom for integrity
-
News3 weeks ago
We’ll never lie to Nigerians – FG *Harps on transparent elections, free judiciary
-
News2 weeks ago
Atiku to Tinubu: Like Trump, adopt ‘Nigeria First’ policy *Reveals plot to rig 2027 polls