The National Judicial Council (NJC) has rejected a letter supposedly from it, in which it surrendered its statutory powers and tasks regarding the selection and promotion of judges to state governors.
The letter issued to the Chief Judge of Kebbi State and reportedly signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, according to the NJC, did not come from the Council or the CJN, who is the Council’s Chairman.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NJC’s Director of Information, Mr Soji Oye, the phoney letter included no facts.
The NJC’s letter read in part; “The attention of the National Judicial Council has been drawn to a fake letter dated 14th July 2023, purported to have emanated from the Council, and signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON.
“The fake letter titled “Order of Seniority of Judges of the High Court of Kebbi state and recommendation of Justice Umar Abubakar as the substantive Chief Judge of Kebbi state” addressed to the Chief Judge stating “that under section 10 of the existing law of Kebbi state 1996, His Excellency, the Governor, has the power to determine Seniority of Judges and the National Judicial Council has no power to override or reverse the decision of His Excellency.”
It further stated that “the office of the Head of Court or Chief Judge is purely a political appointment to be decided by the Governor of a state.”
For clarification and avoidance of doubt, the National Judicial Council hereby emphatically disclaimed the letter as there is no iota of truth in it and no such letter ever emanated from the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria or the Council.”
The NJC’s Director of Information advised Nigerians to discountenance the letter and its content.
“Meanwhile, the Council has reported the unfortunate case to the relevant security agencies to investigate and bring to book whoever is behind this dastardly act,” Mr Oye added.
