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Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has summoned several judges following conflicting court rulings related to political cases in Rivers State. The CJN has also called the chief judge of the federal high court for questioning on Tuesday, October 29.
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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has launched an investigation into the matter, forming a panel led by a former Court of Appeal justice and two senior judicial officers.
The panel has been directed to submit its report within the week. Also, the chief judge of the Rivers State High Court will appear before the NJC next week as part of the probe.
The investigation follows complaints about contradictory rulings concerning the conduct of local government elections in Rivers State. On September 4, a state high court allowed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to use the 2023 voter register for the elections.
However, a federal high court in Abuja issued a conflicting order on September 30, preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing the voter register and restraining security agencies from supporting the polls.
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Despite the legal tussle, the Rivers government insisted on holding the elections. On October 5, RSIEC conducted the elections across the state’s 23 local government areas, amid ongoing tension between the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The CJN’s intervention aims to address concerns about judicial inconsistencies that could undermine public confidence in the judiciary. The NJC will determine appropriate actions based on the panel’s findings.
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