Contrary to available information in the public space to the effect that Justice Tanko Muhammad, the embattled former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), who resigned on Monday, took the decision on health grounds, the ex-chief justice was forced out of his judicial job, THE WITNESS can report.
The decision of Justice Muhammad to eventually throw in the towel on Monday, was a culmination of months of plots for his ouster by some members of the proverbial Aso Rock cabal who were unhappy with the way he was running the judiciary, according to sources familiar with the matter.
However, what eventually tipped the scale against the ousted chief justice was the recently leaked letter by 14 justices of the Supreme Court who made damning allegations of corruption against him.
The judges who insisted that he must resign, THE WITNESS gathered, had presented a report detailing instances of alleged corruption indulged in by him to President Muhammadu Buhari, a situation that left the president with few choices.
Desperate to save face, amid corruption allegations against a number of key appointees of his administration, notably, Ahmed Idris, former accountant-general of the federation accused of N80bn fraud, the president instructed the CJN to turn in his resignation letter, it was gathered.
“He was forced to resign, that much I can tell you,” said a source close to the Presidency who craved anonymity. “In fact, he would have been forced out long ago, but for the fact that they didn’t want Justice Mary Odili to replace him.”
According to the source, the cabal had plotted to force out Justice Odili, wife of Peter Odili, former Rivers State governor, before removing Muhammad, but had to back down following the strong backlash that followed the move.
Muhammad was appointed as acting CJN on January 25, 2019, following the suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen, days to that year’s presidential election.
Though Onnoghen, Cross River State-born retired justice who was appointed CJN in 2016 by Yemi Osibanjo who was acting president – Buhari had gone to London for medical reasons – was accused of corruption, it would later emerge that the real reason he was bundled out was because the cabal wanted a chief justice who would do its bidding, especially with the 2019 election in view.
In March this year, Onnoghen, speaking at a book launch he attended with his wife, disclosed that he was removed from office over a false allegation that he held a secret meeting with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president who was Buhari’s main challenger in the 2019 presidential election, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Muhammad was sworn in as a substantial CJN on July 24, 2019, with expectations that he would carry out instructions from the cabal.
However, although the Supreme Court under Muhammad’s watch ultimately ruled in favour of Buhari in the protracted legal battle that followed the 2019 election, Atiku having gone to court to challenge the outcome of the polls, it was gathered that the cabal got upset with him for being too slow to do its bidding and thus, plotted to remove him.
However, the complication became that in the event of his removal, the mantle would naturally fall on Justice Odili whose headship of the judiciary the cabal could not contemplate.
The next plan was then to try to force Odili out. On Friday, October 29, 2021, a team of security operatives raided her home at number No. 7 Imo River Street, Maitama, Abuja.
One Aliyu who led the raid, had claimed that he got a warrant from the Chief Magistrate Mr Emmanuel Iyanna of Wuse Zone 6 magisterial division to search Number 9 Imo Street, Maitama over alleged illegal activities, as revealed by a whistleblower.
But the argument flew in the face of logic, given that Justice Odili’s home is at No 7 and not Number 9.
As outrage over the invasion grew, both police authorities and attorney-general, Abubakar Malami, denied authoring the act, and would subsequently ‘arrest’ those who carried out the raid.
But sources said the raid was approved by the attorney-general and was done to let her know she would not be allowed to succeed Muhammad as the head of the nation’s judiciary.
But unable to find a way around Odili, the cabal, it was gathered, opted to wait for the former Rivers First Lady to serve out her term at the Supreme Court.
On May 12, 2022, Odili retired from the apex court upon attaining the age of 70.
Her retirement thus paved the way for Muhammad’s removal. And at the weekend, following the allegations raised against him by the 14 Supreme Court judges, he was asked to resign, sources said.
Meanwhile, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola who is now the most senior Supreme Court judge, has been sworn in as Muhammad’s replacement, in acting capacity.