The National Judicial Council (NJC) has strongly criticized Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the state House of Assembly for the removal of the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Oyebola Ojo. According to an anonymous NJC member, the state government lacks the authority to suspend or discipline a judge, emphasizing that only the NJC has the constitutional mandate to investigate and recommend sanctions for judges.
The NJC member stated, “A state government cannot discipline, sanction, or sack the chief judge of a state without recourse to the NJC. If they claim they’ve carried the NJC along, they should have waited for the NJC to investigate her.”
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has also condemned the suspension of Justice Ojo, describing it as an “unwarranted assault on the judiciary” and a violation of the rule of law. The NBA emphasized that a chief judge cannot be removed without the involvement of the NJC and criticized the Osun State Government for disregarding a court order restraining the removal.
In response to the situation, the NBA declared that it would not recognize Justice Olayinka Afolabi as the acting Chief Judge of the state. The association pledged to take necessary steps to ensure that the government’s actions did not stand.
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