, chaired by Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, is preparing for an important){kind=link}
The National Judicial Council (NJC), chaired by Nigeria’s Chief Justice, Justice Kudirat Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun, is preparing for an important meeting to review allegations of misconduct involving several serving judges on the probe of Kano, Rivers and other controversial rulings.
This gathering, marking the first quarterly meeting under Justice Kekere-Ekun’s leadership and the last for the year, has raised concerns within the judiciary.
The new Chief Justice has made clear her intention to address improper conduct among judicial officers.
Between May and August 2024, 22 complaints were submitted against 27 judges from federal and state high courts. The NJC’s Preliminary Complaints Assessment Committee reviewed these complaints, dismissing 18 due to lack of merit, abandonment, or pending litigation. In June 2024, eight panels were established to investigate claims of misconduct, with only eight cases deemed valid.
Following further examination, four additional panels were created on August 15, 2024, to assess judges with preliminary evidence of misconduct. Each panel includes a chairman and two council members, and the accused judges were given a deadline of October 31, 2024, to respond, though some have requested extensions.
A source close to the NJC revealed, “The Chief Justice is keenly awaiting the reports from the panels set up to investigate allegations against these judicial officers, to enable her to act decisively.”
Once the Chief Justice returns to the country, the NJC is expected to schedule its final quarterly meeting, where it will review the reports from the panels investigating these cases.
Prominent lawyers, including Chiefs Mike Ahamba, Awa Kalu, Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, and Samuel Jibrin Okutepa, have called on the NJC to address the ongoing issues in Rivers State, where two high court judges issued conflicting orders related to local council elections.
They view the ongoing jurisdictional disputes in political cases as damaging to the judiciary’s credibility.
In May, under former Chief Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, conflicting rulings in a Kano emirship dispute resulted in the emirate having two emirs. Although Chief Justice Ariwoola intervened, no judges were penalized.
Recently, shortly after Justice Kekere-Ekun’s appointment, similar contradictory orders in Rivers State regarding local elections have confused, with Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja and Justice Chigozie Igwe of the Rivers State High Court issuing opposing decisions.
Justice Kekere-Ekun has pledged to bring stability to the judiciary, with expectations high that her approach will lead to a different handling of these matters, signalling a renewed commitment to the judiciary’s integrity.