The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has urged the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to intervene in the impasse between the Benue State Government and the State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the Coalition for Good Governance and Transparency in Nigeria noted that the Benue State House of Assembly should be allowed to exercise the power vested in it by the constitution to set the process for the ouster of Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
He said: “We call on the Attorney General of the Federation to immediately intervene and ensure the constitutional provision of the rights and privileges of the Benue State House of Assembly members as well as the constitutional powers of the Executive Governor, who has the powers to remove a Chief Judge in line with section 292 of the 1999 constitution as amended, should be exercised.
“We make bold to say that, failure of the NJC and the Attorney General of the Federation to read the riot act to Justice Ikpambese and advise he step aside, we shall occupy the NJC premises in a mass protest to press home our demand. We will do this to save democracy and restore order in Benue State. We will do everything possible to ensure that a peaceful Benue State is not thrown into a political crisis and the good governance people are now enjoying in the state is not corrupted by some individuals who are suspected to be agents of opposition political parties in Benue State.”
The Forum, which enumerated several infractions of the embattled Chief Judge of Benue State, said it was taken aback by the pronouncement of the National Judicial Council (NJC), which feigned ignorance of the petitions before it.
“Recent events involving the Benue State Judiciary are an example worthy of mention. The Benue State House of Assembly passed a resolution and recommended the removal of the Chief Judge of Benue State, Honourable Maurice Ikpambese, based on petitions received on his alleged misconduct, abuse of office, among other infractions.
The House relied on section 292 subsection (3) of the 1999 constitution as amended, which states that the Chief Judge of a State can be removed from office if it is backed by a two-thirds majority of the State House of Assembly.
“The National Judicial Council (NJC) is a body saddled with the responsibility to discipline judicial officers.
“Let it be on record that there is no part of the constitution that empowers the NJC to remove a chief judge from office but to discipline and recommend the same to the Governor of a State, who has the powers to remove a chief judge if found wanting.
“In the case of Benue State, we have investigated the entire process and discovered that the NJC is in receipt of several petitions against Justice Maurice Ikpambese but has deliberately refused to investigate him. Since 2010, there have been petitions against him even before he became the Chief Judge of Benue State.
“In fact, for the NJC’s statement that it received a petition against Justice Maurice Ikpambese just on Monday 19th February 2025 is misleading. Our findings show that the 19th February petition was the latest in recent times.
“Outside this petition, there are other petitions, including the one acknowledged by the NJC itself on the 2nd of December 2024, which is yet to be investigated even now.
“Most worrisome is the political waiver granted by the embattled Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Ikpambese, to petitioners of the local government election petition tribunal, which is a clear case of bias, favouritism, compromise, and political interest. It is unholy for a Chief Judge of a state who set up the election petition tribunal panel and also constituted the appeal panel to have shown such bias, which is already a miscarriage of justice.
“It is obvious that under Justice Ikpambese, the judiciary is dead in Benue State.
“We wish to state in clear terms that it is within our constitutional rights to insist that the NJC, NBA, and other relevant bodies do the needful by allowing justice to prevail, but under Ikpambese as the Chief Judge, Benue Judiciary has collapsed.
“We strongly call on the Benue State Governor and the State House of Assembly not to succumb to the antics of the political enemies within and outside Benue State who are now using some officials to distract this current purposeful and working government in the state.
“While we give the NJC a 48-hour ultimatum to constitute a panel, investigate, and prosecute Justice Ikpambese for his wrongful act of compromise, sabotage, and bias, we recommend the Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Iormen Alia, to immediately swear in the next judge in line as the Acting Chief Judge of the State.”
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