The Supreme Court yesterday refuted the report that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mr. Olukayode Ariwoola, was interrogated by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his recent remarks on the G-5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The denial came after the court distanced Ariwoola from comments he made endorsing the governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde as a member of the group.
Recall that at a dinner organised in his honour in Rivers State, Ariwoola was quoted to have said that he was happy the governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, was a member of the G-5.
The governors are Messrs Nyesom Wike (Rivers State), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, (Enugu) and Makinde who are seeking the resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as chairman of the PDP.
In a statement issued in Abuja, spokesman for the Supreme Court, Mr. Festus Akande, described the rumoured DSS probe of the CJN as “tissues of lies.”
The statement reads in part: “We have read with dismay and shock a publication… by an online media outfit that the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, was grilled by the DSS for the remarks he made in ‘Port Harcourt at a state banquet’ and that ‘five Justices of Supreme Court are calling for his resignation.’
“Just like our earlier press statement debunking this barefaced falsehood and mischievous antics aimed at scoring very cheap and unpopular political gains in this era of aggressive and mudslinging politicking.
“We wish to state in very clear and unmistaken terms, that this is yet another round of the avalanche of lies that have been disingenuously packaged by individuals with unenviable pedigree to malign the character and personality of not just the CJN but several other Judicial Officers that they considered to be too unpliable and principled to be approached for any form of underhand dealings, especially as election cases (petitions) will soon be streaming to the tribunals (courts) for adjudication.
“It has become very obvious that those with sinister motives have perfected plans to unleash all manner of coordinated attacks on Judicial Officers, starting from the CJN with a view to arm-twisting and blackmailing and ridiculing them to silence, ultimately for their ulterior motives.
“For sure, it will only take an undiscerning mind to believe this string of falsehood, misinformation and blackmail. Nigerians are much wiser to fall for this armchair criticism and disingenuous sponsorships of paid crowds who masquerade as ‘civil society organizations’ to help them further their inordinate ambition of gagging and fettering the Nigerian Judiciary so that they could cowardly do their biddings.
“The publication, which was laced with tissues of lies, non-existent sources of information and unsubstantiated claims, clearly showed the unwholesome intentions of the authors.
“For the records, no single Justice of the Supreme has asked the CJN to resign, and no Justice of Supreme Court has or is writing any letter of protest whatsoever.
“This stream of falsehood, as usual, is flowing from the same discredited source that is hell-bent on destroying the Judiciary for some selfish interest.
“The Supreme Court Justices are united and firmly behind the CJN; and are, as usual, all working assiduously to dispense justice without fear or favour.
“Neither the CJN nor the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court or other Courts for that matter, are politicians, so, none of them should be dragged into politics in any form whatsoever.
“Our advice to this set of rabble-rousers whose stock in trade is character assassination via dissemination of false information to create tension and disaffection, is to have a rethink and engage in meaningful productive activities that will move the nation forward. A word is enough for the wise.”
