The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, has been lambasted by Nigerians who were shocked over a statement he made at Port Harcourt where he expressed his joy on Thursday that the Governor of his (Oyo) state, Seyi Makinde, had continued to support Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers in the coalition of five governors, now known as the Integrity Group.
Many people have taken to Twitter to condemn what they termed ‘judicial rascality on the part of the Chief Judge who according to them should not be partisan.
The group of five include Governors Wike, Makinde of Oyo state, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state.
They have been at daggers drawn with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of reneging on his alleged promise to ensure that if both the party’s standard bearer and National Chairman, now Iyorchia Ayu, emerged from the same region, the chairman would be forced to resign.
The quintet has refused to either endorse or support the campaigns of PDP’s Atiku, maintaining that for peace to return to the opposition party, Ayu must go.
But aside backing Makinde’s membership of the group, Ariwoola, joked that Makinde was being held to ransom by Wike by threatening to withdraw his sister (Makinde’s wife), who he said is from the South-south state, from the Oyo governor.
“That is why we should not be scared to have these men of the integrity group and I am happy that my own governor is among because he would try to imitate his friend and in-law because we came here to marry for my governor.“So, Governor Wike will always threaten that he will call back his sister if my governor fails to play ball. That is why you see him following his Excellency (Wike) because my governor is afraid of his wife being recalled,” he joked.
He acknowledged the presence of the group of five governors at the gala night and judiciary project inauguration which held in Rivers, stressing that they had been similarly present when Makinde held a reception to celebrate his appointment as CJN some months ago.