News Release: Justice Ayo Salami’s Suspension Is Unconstitutional, Null And Void

Justice Ayo Salami

The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) condemns in very strong terms the purported suspension of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami by National Judicial Council(NJC) as unconstitutional, null and void.

We have watched with suspicion all this while, the unconstitutional maneuvers by the NJC in connivance with Justice Aloysius Katsina Alu since the faceoff between him and Justice Salami over attempts by the CJN to assault the integrity of the bench, justice and decency following his failed attempt to induce Justice Salami to commit illegality and breach of his oath of office over the Sokoto State Gubernatorial Appeal Court judgments and to cover up his ignoble lead role in the shameful conduct of the Supreme court in dismissing the Sokoto State Gubernatorial petitions even when it wasn’t a matter before them.

The National Judicial Council(NJC) have shamelessly used all known and unknown tricks in the books to exonerating him in clear case of judicial misconduct while at the same time trying to intimidate and assault a diligent and honest judicial officer in the person of Justice Ayo Salami for being upright but they have failed.

In dismissing Justice Salami’s allegation of abuse of office against the Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN), (CPPM) would like the NJC to provide answers to why the appeal in the Sokoto Gubernatorial election petition which was pending before the Sokoto Court of Appeal was eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court on 21st November, 2010 notwithstanding that the appeal was not before the Supreme Court?

The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) have decided to speak up on the purported suspension of Justice Salami by the NJC because we felt that this was a drama that was being taken too far, after all we are a serious people who cannot be audience to a clear case of unconstitutionality by some persons sitting on the exalted bench of our judiciary.

We are hereby calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina Alu to immediately resign and submit himself to prosecution for abuse of his oath, failure which he should be arrested and tried by the courts.

We are also calling for the immediate disbandment of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the arrest and prosecution of those Justices who breached their oath of office by the, purported suspension of Justice Ayo Salami.

We are as well calling on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to immediately take the front role in restoring the lost integrity of the Judiciary which the CJN and NJC have brought to ruins by going on strike if these violators of the constitution refuse to resign and be prosecuted.

Thanks,

Yours Sincerely,

Nelson Ekujumi,

Executive Chairman,

Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM)

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