'Nigerian Judiciary The Institution Has Become Corrupt And Turned Into Something Else' - Justice Musa dattijo Muhammad

Justice Musa dattijo Muhammad

Judge Muhammad, who served as an active member of the judiciary for 47 years, retired from the top court bench on Friday after reaching the obligatory retirement age of 70 years. According to reports, he withdrew from the seven-member panel that rejected every petition that attempted to remove President Tinubu from office.

Taking advantage of the valedictory event organized in his honor by the Supreme Court, he addressed what he saw as judicial rot that has persisted in impacting the nation's justice delivery system. He charged that Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, had abused his official authority.

Regarding the current makeup of the Supreme Court's bench, Justice Muhammad claimed that it was intentional not to appoint someone to the South East seat, citing "absolute powers vested in the office of the CJN."

He further emphasized that the North Central zone, which he represented, will lose a justice to the Supreme Court bench upon his retirement.Well, sort of.

"As it stands, only four geo-political regions- the South-West, South-South, North-West and North-East are represented in the Supreme Court.

"While the South-South and North-East have two serving justices, the North-West and South-West are fully represented with three each.

On the subject of membership of the panel that considered the Presidential election appeals by candidates of the PDP and the Labour Party, Justice Muhammad, said: "To ensure justice and transparency in presidential appeals from the lower court, all geo-political zones are required to participate in the hearing.

"It is therefore dangerous for democracy and equity for two entire regions to be left out in the decisions that will affect the generality of Nigerians.