• Clark warns Akpabio against anti-democratic hijack of National Assembly

Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who was confirmed by the Senate, yesterday, as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), has read the riot act to senior legal practitioners, who publicly comment on ongoing cases, especially those before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.

This was as elder statesman, Edwin Clark, raised issues about potential anti-democratic influences within the National Assembly, urging Senate President Godswill Akpabio to guard the institution against hijacking. Kekere-Ekun warned that under her watch as CJN, such practice would not be condoned, adding that culprits would be decisively dealt with.

Responding to a question by Akpabio during the screening for her confirmation, she said: “I assure you that as chairman of the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC), we will ensure that those who should be disciplined, those who are in the habit of speaking on social media, condemning the judiciary and commenting on cases that are subjudice, will not have anywhere to hide.

The newly confirmed CJN reaffirmed her dedication to upholding judicial integrity and enforcing strict discipline in the judiciary, emphasising zero-tolerance for corruption and commitment to ensuring compliance with the judiciary’s code of conduct.

The role of the National Judicial Council (NJC)’s evaluation committee, which assesses judges’ work in terms of quality, punctuality and overall conduct, was brought to the fore by her as he mentioned plans to tighten the evaluation processes to further uphold high judicial standards.

Warning sternly that the days of conflicting court judgments are over, she added that any judicial officer found abusing court processes or trying to mislead the court would face sanctions.

According to her, pre-election matters should terminate at the Court of Appeal to allow the Supreme Court to deal with pressing policy matters. President Bola Tinubu had, in August, appointed Kekere-Ekun as Acting CJN, following the retirement of Kayode Ariwoola.

As the 23rd CJN, she is the second woman to occupy the seat.

IN a letter, yesterday, the Second Republic senator commended Akpabio’s leadership but warned of a regrouping faction within the National Assembly aiming to undermine due process, particularly in altering the 1999 Constitution.

He referenced past attempts by the group to intimidate lawmakers and manipulate state judiciaries and local councils for political gain.  Clark urged Akpabio to uphold constitutional procedures and resist any attempt by the group to subvert the rule of law.

Emphasising the supremacy of the Constitution, he called on all arms of government to ensure compliance with the document, highlighting the importance of democratic principles “in these challenging times”.

The letter reads, “First, let me commend you on the positive observed changes in the manner you handle proceedings on the floor of the Senate. However, please permit me to bring to your attention some things that may not be handled correctly in the National Assembly, having regard to your speech in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, during the flag presentation to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the local council elections.”

The elder statesman, who was a member of the Senate Select Committee, saddled with the responsibility of appointing committees of the Senate, and two other committees, said it had become quite worrisome observing the brazen way some things were done in the National Assembly.

He added, “The purpose of this write-up, therefore, is to kindly appeal to you not to allow this nefarious group to hijack the public debates in the various Houses of Assembly, where the debates will be held having regard to the powers of the governors and some mischievous, ambitious and ‘powerful’ politicians over their Houses of Assembly.

“Everyone in this country is under strict compulsion to obey the Constitution. I repeat here, Section 1 (1), which says, ‘This Constitution is supreme, and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This includes the Supreme Court (Judiciary) the President (Executive) and the National Assembly (Legislature).”