The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, requesting an investigation into public comments made by a former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, regarding alleged visits to Supreme Court Justices during the legal dispute arising from the 2019 Kano State governorship election.
In a petition signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Mr. Suraju Olanrewaju, the civil society group expressed concern over media reports quoting Senator Kwankwaso as saying that he took the then governorship candidate, and now Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, to meet Supreme Court Justices in their villages and towns during the pendency of the case before the Supreme Court.
These were contained in a statement on Sunday.
HEDA noted that while political actors are entitled to pursue their cases through lawful legal processes, any suggestion of private engagement with judicial officers outside officially recognised legal channels could undermine public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
The organisation stressed that the allegation, if left unaddressed, could create a negative public perception about the integrity of the administration of justice, particularly as the dispute was eventually resolved by the Supreme Court in January 2020, which affirmed the outcome of the election.
Citing provisions of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Nigerian Judicial Code of Conduct, HEDA emphasised the need for judicial officers to avoid not only impropriety but also the appearance of bias, in order to preserve public trust in the administration of justice.
The anti-corruption organisation also referenced public denials by two former Supreme Court Justices who served at the time, Hon. Justices Ejembi Eko and Musa Muhammad Datijo (Rtd), both of whom reportedly refuted claims of any meeting with Senator Kwankwaso or Governor Yusuf.
HEDA therefore called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to institute an independent administrative inquiry into the claims and clarify, within the bounds of judicial ethics, whether any such meetings occurred outside officially recognised judicial settings.
The organisation added that such clarification would help strengthen public confidence in the judiciary and reinforce the rule of law.
The group stated that the petition was not intended to challenge any judgment of the Supreme Court but was motivated by public interest and the need to safeguard the integrity and independence of Nigeria’s judicial system.
