Photos Emerge As Police Teargas Protesters Seeking Resignation of CJN
- The city of Abuja was thrown into commotion when heavily armed police officers pounced on peaceful protesters with teargas
- It was gathered that the protesters were civil society groups under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Societies of Nigeria (CCSN)
- The CCSN who marched to the ministry of justice were protesting for the resignation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tajudeen Ariwoola
FCT, Abuja - The nation's capital, Abuja, was struck with a melee when protesters were dispersed with teargas by heavily armed police operatives.
It was gathered that protesters stormed the premises of the ministry of justice on Tuesday, November 29, seeking the removal of the current Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tajudeen Ariwoola.
Source: Facebook
According to pictures sighted by Legit.ng a large number of protesters under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Societies of Nigeria (CCSN) were seen with placards with solidarity and agitative inscriptions seeking the removal of the current CJN.
The protesters believe that the CJN is partisan and tends to compromise the Nigerian judicial system.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app!
The CCSN alleged that the current CJN could jeopardise electoral disputes brought before the court at the pre-election and post-election stages.
Speaking to journalists about this development, Olayinka Dada, the spokesperson of CCSN, said:
"Seeing the hard-fought democracy under threat as we are witnessing now is nonetheless a misnomer. Nigerians will resist this affront with all legitimacy of their convictions!
"Few days ago, Nigerians woke up to the reckless partisan interference of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tajudeen Olukayode Ariwoola, in a political dispute capable of making Nigerians distrust the electoral processes leading to the 2023 general elections.
"The Chief Justice of Nigeria in an unholy visitation to Rivers state, alleged to be a bought commissioning exercise made reckless statements in favor of his newfound political friend Governor Nyesom Wike."
"CJN Ariwoola's statement in Rivers was reckless" - CCSN
Dada stated that the coalition carefully studied the reckless statement of the CJN in Port Harcourt, and they have concluded that Nigeria's democracy is prone to collapse if Ariwoola remains the country's CJN.
He said:
"This portends a great danger to the smooth dispensation of justice in case of electoral dispute before, during, and after the 2023 general elections. As the saying goes, he who pays the piper dictates the tune."
"From Justice Tajudeen Olukayode Ariwoola's body language, it is becoming clearer that no party or candidate can get justice in the supreme court he oversees. Nigerians will not watch this overbearing suggestion by the CJN to rob off the citizens of the good governance which they have suffered in the last eight years."
Some CSOs involved in the protest include the Civil Society Forum of Nigeria, Nigeria Youth Development Forum, Democratic Youth Initiative, Forum for Social Justice, and Movement for the Development of Democracy.
Others include the Safeguard Nigeria Movement, Alliance for People's Welfare, Forward Nigeria Movement, Human Right Crusaders, Defenders of Democracy, Democratic Rights Assembly and Voter's Rights Assembly, among others.
"Why Nigerians are the most litigious people on earth" - CJN Ariwoola reveals
Manwhile, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has lamented that Nigerians are putting unprecedented pressure on the judiciary.
He said this in Abuja at the special session of the Supreme Court held to mark the beginning of the 2022/2023 legal year.
According to the CJN, in every little disagreement, Nigerians rush to court, and in every lost case, they rush to appeal, even up to the Supreme Court.
Source: Legit.ng
