The recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC) that Justice Lambo Akanbi should be retired compulsorily has nothing to do with the judgment he delivered on the case involving the All Progressives Congress (APC) local government chairmen in Rivers State.
Rather, the NJC’s recommendation on Akanbi has to do with a petition written by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd on allegation that the federal high court judge failed to deliver judgment on a case brought before him within the three months’ period stipulated by the law.
A source which is very close to Akanbi dismissed an online media report which seeks to link the judge’s travail to his sacking of 22 APC local council chairmen in Rivers State.
He also dismissed the allegation that Akanbi received N100 million bribe from Governor Nyesom Wike to deliver judgment in his favour.
He stressed that the NJC’s letter to President Muhammadu Buhari recommending Akanbi for compulsory retirement only made reference to the SPDC’s petition dated June 3rd,2014.
The source also expressed strong belief that the federal high court judge was being persecuted by the NJC because he overruled the council on its interpretation of the law regarding the appointment of a chief judge for Rivers State.
It would be recalled that there were attempts by the then PDP- led federal government to deny then Governor Rotimi Amaechi of the privilege to make input into the appointment of a chief judge for the state.
“The ruling of Justice Akanbi on this vexed issue which stood at variance with the position of the NJC apparently pitched him against the council,” the source said.
He pointed out that the current travail of Akanbi in the hands of the NJC might not be unconnected with the above issue.
“The truth is that an alleged non-delivering of judgment within the stipulated period of three months is not enough to recommend a judge of high repute like Akanbi who has not been found wanting in his 14 years on the bench for compulsory retirement,” he said.
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