The National Judicial Council (NJC) has punished three judges who issued conflicting orders in the leadership crisis that dogged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by stopping their promotion.
Those affected are Okogbule Gbasam of the High Court of Rivers State, Nusirat Umar of the High Court of Kebbi State, and Edem Kooffreh of the High Court of Cross River State.
They have been barred by the NJC from elevation to either the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.
Gbasam and Ms Umar were blocked from promotion to the higher bench for two years and kooffreh’s sanction carries five years.
It would be recalled that in one week, three courts in different states also issued counter-orders about the office of the national chairman of the PDP.
On August 24, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt restrained Uche Secondus from parading himself as PDP national chairman.
However, in another twist, the Kebbi State High Court in Birnin-Kebbi restored Mr Secondus’ mandate as the national chairman of the opposition PDP on August 27.
A day after Mr Secondus’ reinstatement, another the High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, issued an interim order restraining him from resuming office as PDP chairman.
This development compelled the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, to grill the Chief Judges of six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last September.
Mr Muhammad had warned the judges to immediately stop “the nonsense,” threatening that the three judges who issued the controversial order would be made scapegoats.
“Your job as Heads of Court is a sacred one, therefore, includes you vicariously taking the sinsmof others. There must be an end to this nonsense,” a statement by the National Judicial Council (NJC) had quoted the CJN as saying.
In a statement on Thursday by Soji Oye, NJC’s Director of Information, “The National Judicial Council rose from its two days meeting held on 14 and 15 December 2021, with a resolution to bar the three judges of courts of concurrent jurisdiction who granted conflicting exparte orders in matters with same parties and subject matter from promotion to higher bench for a period ranging from two to five years whenever they are due.”
“Even though there was no written petition, allegations of corruption or impropriety against the subject judges,” the statement revealed.
