From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Oluwakayode Ariwoola, to resign over his alleged endorsement of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for being a member of the G-5 governors, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Ariwola was quoted to have said he was happy that Governor Makinde, the CJN’s state, was part of the G-5.
Although the Supreme Court through the Director of Information and Press, Supreme, Dr Festus Akande, distance the CJN, adding that those crediting the CJN with the comments were out to score cheap political goals.
But the CNG at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, by the National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, argued that the Federal Government was quick to administer disciplinary measures on former Chief Justices Walters Samuel Nkanu Onneghen and Tanko Mohammed for less grievous allegations, “now appear inactive in the face of the more grievous breach of the CJN dragging the nation’s judiciary into an embarrassing political situation by being outright partisan.”
Charanchi said: ” The CNG hereby unequivocally condemn with all our might any such attempts by government to condone highly placed judicial officers who abuse the judicial independence which is critical to fairness and impartiality and free from outside pressures or inducements.
“We call for the immediate resignation of Mr Ariwoola from the position of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and an unconditional apology to Nigerians for the embarrassment caused.
“We call on the Legislative and executive arms of government to come out of their present docility by imitating urgent processes for stripping the Ariwoola of the title of the CJN in order to restore the integrity of the judiciary and reclaim public confidence in the Justice system.”