CJN summons six chief judges over conflicting court orders

Ibrahim Muhammad, the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), has summoned six chief judges over conflicting orders issued in their courts.

The CJN issued the summons on Monday, requesting that the judges explain their recent court orders.

In recent weeks, the chief judges had issued conflicting orders on issues bordering on the chairmanship tussle of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the gubernatorial candidate logjam of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra state.

Those summoned by the CJN are the chief judges of Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa, and Imo states.

The CJN complained about the “huge embarrassment” caused by those who issued conflicting orders upon ex-parte applications by some political parties.

The affected judges are to first appear before the CJN, after which they will face the NJC to explain what informed the issuance of the conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“My attention has been drawn to media reports to the effect that some courts of coordinate jurisdiction were granting conflicting Exparte Orders on the same subject matter,” the summon reads.

“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 warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in granting Exparte applications.”

Ahuraka Yusuf Isah, spokesman of the CJN, and Soji Oye, NJC spokesman, confirmed the summon to TheCable.