UPDATE: How 14 Supreme Court justices forced CJN Ibrahim Tanko to resign

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko on Monday resigned from office after a running battle with his colleagues.

Tanko had cited ill-health as his reason for leaving office before his due date of retirement.

According to sources however, although the CJN had been battling with his health for some time, he didn’t resign from office because of it.

WesternPost gathered that he resigned from office after pressure from his colleagues in the Supreme Court.

Fourteen of the Supreme Court judges had in a joint petition they signed, accused the CJN of poor welfare among others.

They accused the CJN of abandoning his responsibilities and diverting funds meant for the running of the Supreme Court.

According to them, while they were being treated poorly, the CJN continued to enjoy the best of treatments along with is family.

“In the past justices were nominated to attend two to three foreign workshops and training per annum with an accompanying person for reasons of age,” the petition stated.

“Since your lordship’s assumption of office, justices only attended two workshops in Dubai and Zanzibar. They were not accorded the privilege of travelling with accompanying persons as was the practice.

“Your lordship totally ignored this demand and yet travelled with your spouse, children and personal staff.

“We demand to know what has become of our training funds, have they been diverted, or is it a plain denial?

“Your lordship may also remember that the National Assembly has increased the budgetary allocation of the Judiciary. We find it strange that in spite of the upward review of our budgetary allocation, the Court cannot cater for our legitimate entitlements. This is unacceptable!

“Drugs are not available to treat minor ailments. There is a general lack of concern for justices who require immediate or emergency medical intervention,.

“The committee also requested for the restoration of our monthly Internet allowance, because we require uninterrupted Internet service in order to have access to materials online to write our judgments.

“With regard to justices’ vehicles, several are due for replacement, while the new Justices have not received their full complement of vehicles to date. Moreover, some of the vehicles supplied to the Justices are either refurbished or substandard.

“Your lordship with all due respect, this is the peak of the degeneration of the court; it is the height of decadence, and clear evidence of the absence of probity and moral rectitude.

“Your lordship, this act alone portends imminent danger to the survival of this court and the Judiciary as an institution, which is gradually drifting to extinction.

“The judiciary is an arm of government. The Supreme Court of Nigeria, just like the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly, is the seat of the judiciary as an arm of government. The implication of the memo is that this arm of government is potentially shut down. May God never allow that day.

“Your Lordship, this is a wake-up call. Your Lordship must take full responsibility as our leader. You must not concession your responsibility to people who have no responsibility or stake in preserving and defending the dignity of the Institution

“It is either you quickly and swiftly take responsibility and address these burning issues or we will be compelled to further steps immediately. May this day never come,” the added.

While the CJN denied the allegations in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Media), Ahuraka Isah, titled ‘Re: State Of Affairs In The Supreme Court And Demand By Justices Of The Supreme Court’, WesternPost gathered that the fear of having President Buhari who already had a copy of the petition to act on it, forced Justice Tanko Ibrahim to immediately excuse himself from office.

The next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Olukayode Ariwoola, is expected to be sworn in immediately as the acting CJN.