The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has expressed displeasure over conflicting orders and judgments issued by some judges in the country.
The CJN is also perturbed by many complaints and allegations of misconduct and abuse of judicial privilege leveled against some judicial officers in Nigeria.
She therefore expressed strong desire to sanitise the judicial space and restore confidence in the dispensation of justice.
Already, some heads of courts and judges involved in the conflicting orders, have been summoned by Kekere-Ekun to explain themselves before a panel that would be headed by a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal.
Recall that conflicting court orders trailed the Local Government Area election that was held in Rivers State recently.
While the court in Abuja barred security agencies from participating in the electoral process, another court in the state gave the nod for the election to be held, even as it ordered the provision of security for the exercise.
Likewise, while the court in Abuja recognized the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, on the other hand, a high court in the state gave the faction led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, who are on the side of governor Siminalayi Fubara, the legal imprimatur to continue to conduct legislative affairs of the state.
The current crisis in Rivers State can be traced back to a landmark Supreme Court ruling on July 11, 2024, which declared unconstitutional the practice of state governors withholding funds allocated for local government administration.
Specifically, some lawyers under the umbrella of Ekiti Lawyers Vanguard for Transparency asked the CJN chairman to probe the Judge of Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Emeka Nwite for allegedly issuing conflicting orders and denying litigants of justice.
In a petition, they called on Kekere-Ekun to investigate the judge, saying he has desecrated the hallowed temple of justice by his actions and practice.