We won’t favour Tinubu, Atiku, Obi at tribunal – CJN

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayoode Ariwoola, has denied rumours that he had a telephone conversation with President Bola Tinubu and the Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, over the pending post-election petitions before the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

Ariwoola said the judiciary has no plans to favour any of the petitioners and the respondents in the petitions pending before the court, especially Tinubu, the Peopes Democratic Party (PDP)’s Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi.

In a statement by the Director of Information of the Supreme Court, Dr Festus Akande on Wednesday, the CJN said there is no iota of truth in the narrative in the social media.

The CJN pleaded with Nigerians to cooperate with the judiciary to serve the country to its full capacity.

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He said, “Nigerians have been following the proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with admirable enthusiasm. So, it is advisable we all sustain the tempo and follow it up to the end, instead of relapsing into the realm of speculations and rumor peddling that will not do anyone any good

“If this current trend of falsehood and mudslinging is sustained, our nation may not make the desired progress. The courts are statutorily established to serve the best interest of the masses; and we are ever poised to do that to the best of our ability.

“The rule of law and supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution will always be upheld and applied in every matter that comes before the courts; as the facts presented and the subsisting laws must be applied in determining the merit or otherwise of each matter.

“The public should be rest assured that justice will be done to all matters pending in the various courts across the country, irrespective of who is involved.”