An Abuja based Non Governmental Organiation, the Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN), has described the rumored attempt to return the suspended President of the Court of Appeal (PCA),
Justice Isa Ayo Salami to office as a direct indictment on the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher.
The group said having maintained upon assumption of office that Plea Bargaining was illegal and had no place in the laws of Nigeria, “It will amount to the CJN eating his words should Justice Salami be allowed to return to office through the same instrument of Plea Bargaining, which he (Justice Musdaphe) had described as illegal.”
In a statement issued today by its Coordinator, Comrade Chima Ubeku, the SRLN also said since it was on the basis of Justice Musdapher’s evidence that the National Judicial Council (NJC) probe panel found Justice Salami guilty of lying against former CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu on the Sokoto election Appeal matter, “returning Justice Salami to office will mean that it was the CJN that actually lied against Justice Salami.”
The SRLN warned the CJN of the pitfall of joining the cabal that are lobbying to bring Justice Salami back to office by whatever means, adding that the NJC will be rubbishing the judiciary the more if it goes about discussing matter on which it had already made its final recommendation to the President, and the recommendation has only not been carried out because of the pendency of the matter before the court.
“Even though we do not want to believe that the CJN will willingly be part of an action that will amount to a direct indictment of himself, we cannot keep silent when people who are suppose to be promoting the sanctity of the judiciary are the ones that are championing acts
capable of further throwing the judiciary into the mud.
“For the avoidance of doubt, returning Justice Salami to office so as to give him the opportunity of resigning from office voluntarily as being planned amount to plea bargaining, which the CJN had said was illegal and alien to Nigeria’s legal system.
“It will also mean that Justice Salami was not guilty of lying against Justice Katsina-Alu as the NJC Panel was made to believe through the evidence of Justice Musdapher.
“Either ways, it is either Justice Salami remains as a perjurer that the NJC panel said he is or the CJN assume the position of the one who lied against him (Salami), meaning that the CJN is the perjurer. “Therefore, the CJN needs to think deeply and chose whether he is prepared to team up with the cabal that are on the mission to rescue Justice Salami and tarnish his own name or allow him (Salami) to carry his cross by letting the court decide his fate,” SRLN said.