Acting CJN’s inauguration violated court order, party tells NJC

The Action People’s Party has asked the National Judicial
Council to immediately suspend the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria,
Justice Tanko Muhammad, and recommend him for immediate
retirement.

The party made the call in a petition dated February 11, 2019
and addressed to the interim Chairman of the NJC, Justice Umaru
Abdullahi.

The petition, which formed the basis for a fresh query the
council issued to the acting CJN on Wednesday, was jointly signed
by the party’s National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman, Imo
Ugochinyere, and Kingsley Nnadi, respectively.

A copy of the petition said the party had instituted an action
seeking declaratory as well as injunctive reliefs against the
removal of Justice Walter Onnoghen as CJN as well as restraining
Muhammad’s inauguration as acting CJN.

The petition reads, “The disturbing question which has damaged
the sacred image of the judiciary is: why would the Honourable
Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad quickly present himself to be
sworn-in as the acting CJN in obvious connivance with the partisan
desecration of the deepest soul of the institution of
judiciary?

“Indeed, the despicable action of Honourable Justice Ibrahim
Tanko Muhammad has destroyed the judiciary and today he is now seen
as the face of partisan judicial outlaw and epitome of executive
lawlessness who should not be associated with the sacred and
hallowed institution of judiciary.

“In the exercise of your disciplinary powers, we request you to
urgently suspend and recommend the immediate retirement of the
Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.”

The NJC has said in its statement on Wednesday that a fresh
petition was sent against Muhammad by the APP.

It said Muhammad was given “abridged seven days” to respond to
the APP’s petition.

The NJC’s statement said the council took the decision to set up
a five-man committee to investigate both Onnoghen and Muhammad
after accepting “the result of the preliminary assessment of the
petitions” written against the duo.

It said the council considered the “petitions to be worthy of
further investigation.”

The statement reads in part, “In continuation of its emergency
meeting, the National Judicial Council accepted the result of the
preliminary assessment of the petitions against Hon. Mr Justice W.
S. N. Onnoghen, (GCON) and Hon. Mr Justice I. T. Muhammad, (CFR)
that the petitions were worthy of further investigation and should
not be terminated under Rule 17 of the Judicial Discipline
Regulations of the Council.

“Consequently, the council constituted a five-member
Investigation Committee pursuant to Rule 20 (1) of the Judicial
Discipline Regulations under the chairmanship of Hon. Mr Justice S.
A. Akintan, (CON), a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of
Nigeria.

“A new petition against Hon. Mr Justice I. T. Muhammad, (CFR),
by the Action People’s Party (APP) was referred to the Hon. Mr
Justice for his comments within abridged seven days.”