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Don’t make Nigerians lose confidence in Judiciary, Buhari warns S’Court judges

Ahead of the 2023 general election, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned Supreme Court judges not to do anything that may make the ordinary people lose confidence in the nation’s Judiciary. Buhari gave this warning yesterday at a brief ceremony for the inauguration of the new Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, following the resignation of Justice Ibrahim Tanko.

 

The President, who reinstated his commitment to the independence of the Judiciary, separation of powers and the rule of law, said: “I want to admonish the Justices of the Supreme Court to always remain faithful and bear  true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and to remain steadfastly committed to the Oath of Allegiance which they all subscribed to, as contained in the 7th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

 

“Our Nation is approaching a critical general election in 2023; the Judiciary must not do anything to fail the ordinary people of Nigeria which may make them lose confidence in the Judiciary.”

 

The President, in his comments, lauded the exiting CJN and Chairman of National Judicial Council (NJC) for strengthening democracy during his period in office. He said: “Nigeria’s judiciary under the leadership of Chief Justice of Nigeria Tanko Muhammed judiciously exercised the judicial powers of the federation. His era witnessed several landmark, jurisprudential and policy decisions by the Supreme Court, and by extension other courts established by the constitution. “CJN Tanko dealt firmly with the issue of reckless and indiscriminate grant of ex-parte orders that was assuming serious dimensions. “History will be kind to Justice Tanko Muhammed for his modest contributions to Nigeria’s Judiciary, the strengthening of our democracy and national development.”

 

Buhari at the ceremony conferred on the existing Supreme Court’s boss the second highest national honour of the Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON) while recalling that Tanko was appointed the Acting CJN on January 25, 2019 and confirmed by the Senate on July 24, same year. In line with the custom of decorating Chief Justices of Nigeria with the second highest  Presinational honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, (GCON), and upon the advice of the Council of State in that regard, as his Lordship CJN I. Tanko Muhammed is taking a bow from the Supreme Court, I hereby bestow on him the National Honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, (GCON).”

 

The Acting CJN, while responding to questions from newsmen, said he would, with the cooperation of his colleagues, comply, abide and preserve the constitution of Nigeria. Asked for comments on controversies around welfare issues raised against his predecessor, he said there was no controversy adding that the welfare issues raised by the judges were not petitions but an internal memo

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