Rivers CJ: Appeal Court fixes Nov 6 for hearing

Before the date was fixed, the panel of five justices of the appeal court refused and dismissed the various applications in the three separate appeals seeking to attack the record of appeal.
The NJC under the Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Aloma Muktar, has suspended Agumagu as the substantive Chief Judge (CJ) of Rivers State on the ground that his appointment as CJ was illegal and did not comply with the provisions of section 271 of the Constitution, which stipulated that a state governor must appoint a CJ on the recommendation of the NJC.
Justice Peter Agumagu was purportedly appointed, confirmed and sworn-in as the substantive CJ of Rivers State on March 18, 2014.
The NJC said that it did not at any time recommend Justice Agumagu for appointment as the state’s CJ, who was sworn by Governor Rotimi Ameachi.
Justice Agumagu is also facing dismissal as the NJC has queried him, requesting him to explain why he should not be dismissed as a judicial officer for failing to abide by his Oath of Office.
A Federal High Court in Port Court presided over by Justice Lambo -Akanbi had held six hours after the swear-in of Justice Agumagu that the governor is indeed empowered to appoint the CJ and frowned at attempt to sideline Justice Agumagu in the list of senior judges eligible for the position.
He held in his verdict that NJC recommendation – Justice Daisy Okocha be appointed CJ of Rivers State was wrong on the ground that the council gave no reasons why it preferred Okocha to Justice Peter Agumagu.