The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, (NJC), Justice Tanko Muhammad has summoned the Chief Judges of six states of the federation to a meeting in Abuja to discuss the issuance of conflicting court orders.

The six affected states are Rivers, Kebbi, Cross River, Anambra, Jigawa and Imo State.

The meeting is part of efforts to arrest recent wave of conflicting exparte orders emanating from judges in their jurisdictions which have caused big embarrassment to the judiciary.

Lawyers are, however, divided on the invitation from the Chief Justice. While they are united that something was wrong with the orders which have caused the judiciary some embarrassment, some said if the summon was from the National Judicial Council (NJC) but if it was from the Chief Justice it would amount to meddlesomeness and not in conformity with the constitution.

Questionable ex parte orders have been issued in various political cases by judges in the six states in the last two months. Such orders were issued concerning the removal of the PDP National Chairman as well as the choice of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the forthcoming election in Anambra State.

The six-state Chief Judges summoned are Ijeoma Agugua of Imo state, Chibuzor Amadi of Rivers, Mohammed Ambursa of Kebbi, Onochie Anyachebelu of Anambra, Akon Ikpeme of Cross River, and Umar Sadiq of Jigawa.

In a letter of invitation dated 30th of August, 2021 the CJN summoned the head of the concerned states’ judiciary to the emergency meeting to brief him on the incessant granting of the conflicting orders on suits instituted by different political parties before the various courts.

The invitation letter reads, “My attention has been drawn to media reports to the effect that some courts of coordinate jurisdictions were granting conflicting exparte orders on the same subject matter. It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development. This is even more compelling having regard to an earlier NJC warning to judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in grating exparte applications.”

The aforementioned Chief Judges are to appear before the National Judicial Council (NJC) to give reasons why they issued conflicting orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction on ex-parte motions filed by some political parties.

“It has become expedient for me to invite you for a detailed briefing on the development. This is even more compelling having regard to an earlier NJC warning to Judicial officers on the need to be circumspect in granting an ex-parte application,” the invite said.

On August 25, a state High Court sitting in Kebbi ordered Uche Secondus to return to his position as national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), days after an order stopping him from parading himself as the PDP chairman was issued by Justice O. Gbasam of Rivers state High Court on August 23.

On August 27, another High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River, granted an order restraining Mr Secondus from resuming office as PDP National Chairman.