• May be probed soon
Three State Chief Judges have been placed under watch by the National Judicial Council, NJC, over their alleged partisan roles in the recent impeachment cases in their respective states.
While two of the impeachment cases involved two governors, with one successful, one affected a deputy governor.
Nigerian Pilot learnt that the decision of the NJC to investigate the three CJs was prompted by the petitions it received from some aggrieved parties over the “unprofessional” manner the top judicial officers handled the constitution of probe panels to investigate impeachable offences levelled against the governors and the deputy governor.
All the CJs (names withheld) are alleged to be in active service.
Top judiciary sources told Nigerian Pilot that the NJC is set to query the affected Chief Judges to enable them state their positions.
The sources said that the NJC under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mariam Aloma Mukthar, had received several petitions against some senior judicial officers, particularly three serving Chief Judges for allegedly being partisan in the impeachment saga and abuse of office.
The recent impeachment case occurred in Adamawa State where members of the House of Assembly successfully removed Murtala Nyako as governor while their Nasarawa State counterparts failed in their bid to sack Governor Tanko Al-Makuara.
The lawmakers, who accused the State Chief Judge, Justice Suleiman Dikko of bias in the setting up of the probe panel, petitioned the NJC over his conduct.
Only two weeks ago, the Enugu State House of Assembly impeached the Deputy Governor, Sunday Onyebuchi for allegedly refusing to represent the governor at official functions and for operating poultry in his residential house in the Government House.
In view of the faulty nature of the offences, the CJ is alleged not to have properly counselled the House in its plot against Onyebuchi.
According to sources, the CJN might likely conclude the investigation of the CJs and decide their fate before she officially bows from the Bench on November 24, 2014.
It was learnt that after the annual vacation and the one week judges’ conference, the NJC would fix a date and set a panel on the matter.
Nigerian Pilot further gathered that before the NJC sits on the matter, queries would be sent to the affected senior judicial officers, which they are expected to answer within 48 hours.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
