For his comment on the Peoples Democratic Party G5 group, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, should resign from office, a coalition of 52 northern groups advised on Thursday.
The organisation said the country cannot have a successful democracy without a fair and impartial judiciary.
The 52 Arewa socio-cultural groups made the demand at a briefing in Abuja, days after the CJN expressed happiness that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State aligned himself with the PDP G5 governors led by Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
The comment of the CJN during the inauguration of a project built by Wike, had sparked controversies, with some individuals and groups alleging that it smacked of partisanship.
But the Director of Press and Public Relations in Supreme Court, Dr. Festus Akande, had exonerated the CJN, saying his comment was twisted.
He had said, “Issues bordering on misconceptions and misrepresentations of this nature are not always strange in times like this when the country is preparing for general elections, as some people may want to take advantage of every opportunity to score very cheap goals. As we all know, this is the era of aggressive and even unconventional politicking, so, there’s nothing that will not be heard or seen at this crucial time, especially between now and February 2023, when the general elections will be conducted.
“People say whatever they choose to say, just to please their selfish interests and inordinate desires. We can’t really pinpoint where such barefaced falsehood is coming from; and certainly, we don’t also know at what point the CJN said he was happy that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was a member of the now christened ‘Integrity Group’ or “G-5 Governors.’ Punch
