The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and all relevant security agencies to look into and publicly release their findings regarding the rumored trip to the UK for medical attention by Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and the claim that he was there in disguise to meet with President-elect Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released over the weekend by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the CNPP stated that this was now imperative to protect the independence of the Nigerian court.
Unconfirmed rumors claimed that Tinubu and Ariwoola met in secret in London, and images of the Chief Justice of Nigeria in a wheelchair during that reported trip appeared online.
However, the CNPP noted that despite the denials of the plans to hold such meetings by the two men, “the integrity of both the CJN personality in Nigeria and that of the President-Elect have been called to question, particularly in view of the widespread criticisms of the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s rulings on political issues since this year’s general elections.
CNPP’s statement read in part, “The Supreme Court under the current leadership has given several verdicts on political litigations in recent times which put the integrity of the apex court to question before this very damaging report by an online news portal on the alleged planned meeting between the CJN and the President-elect in London.
“The CNPP, therefore, calls on President Muhammadu Buhari, Security Agencies, and all relevant stakeholders to institute an open investigation into the reported planned meeting between CJN Ariwoola and President-elect Tinubu to lay to rest the controversy in the interest of justice and national security.”