Katsina-Alu, Adoke plot to extend retirement age for Judicial Officers...Brace for April Election Petitions

Bello Adoke
With the dust kicked up sequel to alleagtion of fraud against the Chief Justice of the Federation(CJN), Alysius Katsina-Alu, yet to settle, there is a fresh claim alleging a plot by the CJN and his kinsman, and Attorney General, Bello Adoke, to clandestinely extend the retirement age for judicial officers.

The move to extend the retirement age to 75 , it was learnt, is to ensure some very loyal Supreme Court Justices and top ranking judicial officers are preserved for the floodgate of election petitions anticipated against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) after the Aprile general elections.

The CJN had been acused by the President, Court of Appeal,(PCA), Justice Ayo Salami, of complicity in the Sokot State Gubernatorial election petition.

The PCA had alleged that the CJN pressured him to rule in favor of Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko of the PDP. Few days before the Appeal Court could deliver judgement in favor of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) candidate, Alhaji Dakinyaji, the apex court 'arrested' the judgement and ordered a re-run with Wamakko. The Appeal Court had ruled that Wamakko and his running mate, Muktar Shagari, were not qualified to run on the platform of the PDP in the first, so were disqualied from the re-run.

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The Appeal Court led by Salami, had annuled PDP victories in Ekiti and Osun to the chagrin of several PDP big wigs.

Meanwhile the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), and the Coastal Mandate of the Niger Delta, have urged the National Judicial Council (NJC), which has Katsina-Alu as boss, to cause an immediate investigation into the alleged nefarious activities of the CJN.

 
The backed their call with comments from Justices Kayode Esho and Idris Kutigi. Esho had said " what happens if the allegation of corruption is against the Chief Justice..?, who judges the judge" Kutigi had alleged " ...a former Chief Justice of Nigeria was being used as a conduit by politicians to get bribes across to udicial officers at the Supreme Court and othe rjudicial divisions"

On the retirement age plot the groups in statement made vailable to Pointblanknews.com and signed by its Grand Patron, Prince Colins Eselemo said " we also have it on sound authority that there are clandestine moves by the CJN and the AGF to extend the retirement age for judicial officers particularly Supreme Court Justices to 75. This is a deliberate ploy to extend the retirement age of the CJN and keep him in office for another five years to continue his evil act in favor of the PDP "