Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, has summoned six Chief Judges to an emergency meeting over conflicting court orders that emanated from their judicial divisions within the last one month.
A top source at the National Judicial Council, NJC, who confirmed the development to Vanguard, said the CJN was deeply embarrassed that such conflicting orders emerged from courts of the same coordinate jurisdiction.
Specifically, the CJs the CJN ordered to appear before him are those of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa and the Imo States, Vanguard News Nigeria reported on Monday.
The CJs are expected to explain the rationale behind the incessant granting of conflicting ex-parte applications by judges in their divisions, especially on suits that were instituted by members of various political parties.
The memo dated Monday, August 30, read in part: “My attention has been drawn to media Rmreports to the effect that some Courts of coordinate jurisdiction were granting conflicting Exparte Orders on the same subject matter.
“It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development.
“This is even more compelling having regard to earlier NJC‘s warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in granting Exparte applications”.
Vanguard learned that the meeting between the CJN and the Heads of Courts is a prelude to an extended meeting of members of the NJC scheduled for next week.
“Judges found to have been involved in the issuance of frivolous ex-parte orders in politically motivated cases will be made to face NJC panel”, the source who pleaded anonymity added.
