Osun CJ’s nomination crisis deepens

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North
ABUJA — Raging crisis over who emerges as the head of the judiciary in Osun State has deepened following the rejection of the list sent in by the state government to the National Judicial Council to pick one of the nominees for the top job.

The NJC, at its meeting in Abuja, Wednesday, threw out the list of three nominees who were recommended by the Osun State Judicial Service Commission, when it could not decide who was the most qualified candidate for the post and asked that the list be forwarded based on seniority.

Justice Joseph Oyewole

A competent source told Vanguard that the choice of a successor to the current CJ of the state, Justice Olaniyi Ojo, who is leaving office next month, had been complicated because of vested interests that had crept into the appointment.

The source said while the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, recommended Justice Joseph Oyewole of the Lagos State High Court for the post because of the judge’s unquestionable character, the outgoing CJ, Olaniyi Ojo, prefers Justice Bola Ojo of the state High Court, claiming that she is the most senior judicial officer after him.

On the other hand, Justice Gloria Olagoke, who is the President of the state Customary Court of Appeal, is insisting that the post should be given to her since she has a ‘coordinate jurisdiction’ with Justice Ojo.

Vanguard learnt that one of the female contenders for the post had even petitioned the CJN, drawing her attention to the fact that it was the turn of a woman to preside over the Osun State judiciary for the first time and asked her to do all within her powers to give the post to her.

She is reported to have argued in her petition that she had been labouring and waiting patiently for the job and that it would be unfair to take the job from her at the threshold of her picking it.

I’m the most qualified  — Olagoke

Justice Olagoke, on the other hand, is said to have also reminded the authorities that it was her turn to take up the headship of the state judiciary, having been appointed the same day with her contender from the state High Court.

Her argument is that having been the head of the Customary Court of Appeal, she is more qualified than Justice Ojo, who is number two to the retiring CJ.

It was learnt that because of the claims and counter claims from the possible candidates for the post, the NJC might be forced to pick an acting CJ for the state and that the post might likely go to Bola Ojo, who is the most senior judge after Olaniyi.

Why Aregbesola opts for Oyewole

But many of the natives of the state are rooting for Joseph Oyewole, whom they see as an icon of incorruptibility having braced all odds to sentence many top politicians to imprisonment without looking back.

Gov. Aregbesola is said to have opted for Oyewole believing that his appointment would enable him to sanitise the state judiciary and give a bite to the war against corruption as the judge has been doing in the Ikeja Division, Lagos.

But faced with the impasse, the NJC, it was gathered, would be forced to convene an emergency meeting next month to pick one of the nominees as the CJ for the state.

The criteria to be used would depend on when the candidates were called to the Bar, date of their first appointment by the state, outstanding judgements delivered and the level of integrity and courage exhibited in the discharge of their duties.

NJC rejects Adamawa, Kwara nominees

At the meeting of the NJC, the nominations for the appointment of CJ for Adamawa and Kwara states were also turned down.

The Adamawa nominee, a serving Federal High Court judge, is said to have personally requested that her name be dropped on moral grounds since it would be unfair for her to be the CJ while her husband was the head of the administration.

The choice from Kwara State was also  thrown out since the NJC insisted that it would not bow to undue political influence in the selection of the CJ.