The leadership crisis in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] between those who want embattled Chairman of the party Prince Uche Secondus out and those who want him to stay, has led to a rash of conflicting orders from different courts of coordinate jurisdiction across the country.
The first of such orders came from a court in Degema, Rivers State which on August 24, 2021 ruled on an ex parte motion from four members of the party that Prince Secondus should stand down as party chairman.
This was followed in quick succession by another order froma High Court in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State which orderedPrince Secondus to stay on. Yet another order came from a High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, which also ordered Secondus to step down.
Seeking to put a stop to this show of shame, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed waded in and summoned chief judges from Rivers, Kebbi and Cross River states to the National Judicial Council (NJC) over which the CJN presides.
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also expressed its dismay at this development. Its president Olumide Akpata said “these developments in our courts are antithetical to the actualisation of the just society and independent judiciary we all aspire to.’’
Without being prejudicial to the outcome of NJC’sintervention, we join Nigerians in condemning this development which casts the judiciary in a very unfavourablelight. In all instances the ex parte motions sought by the plaintiffs were motivated by partisan political gains and not justice, so judges should have been doubly careful before granting them.
It is a matter of great concern when judges, who are expected to be impartial arbiters, lend themselves to be used in desperate court shopping by politicians in their unending political disputes. What was so urgent and irreversible about Secondus remaining in office as party chairman that a judge would grant an ex parte order without listening to the other side?
We commend the CJN for his intervention, though after much damage had already been done to the judiciary’s image. It is to be expected that as the next election circle approaches, politicians and political parties would seek to opportunistically use the judiciary to their advantage. CJN and the judicial authorities should use this opportunity to sanitise the entire judicial system so as to insulate it from the untoward influences of politicians.
