Chief Judge Warns Judges against Granting Ex-parte Orders in Political Matters

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court (FHC), Justice John Tsoho, has "strongly advised" all judges in the courts to desist from granting ex-parte orders in political matters.

Justice Tsoho also advised the judges not to entertain matters whose substance arose from outside their judicial divisions.

The admonition came just as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday expressed concerns about conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction and urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to halt the trend.

The CJ in a June 24 circular titled: "Grant of Ex-parte Orders" and Hearing of Cases from Outside Immediate

Territorial Jurisdiction," referred the judges to another circular dated August 6, 2018 issued by his predecessor, Justice Abdul Kafarati, which, according to him, still applies.

Tsoho warned the judges to beware of "political manoeuvring" which was on the rise as a prelude to party conventions, primaries and elections in some states.

Meanwhile, INEC yesterday expressed concerns about conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

It called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to halt the trend by championing such an abuse of the judicial process.

In a statement yesterday by the National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Public Information, Mr. Festus Okoye, the commission called on the NBA to remind its members on the need to put national interest above all other issues.

"We urge the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to impress on senior members of the Bar to put the country’s interest and the judiciary above every other interest and not allow personal considerations to outweigh their commitment to the profession, the rule of law and due process. It is in the best interest of the Bar and the Bench not to do anything that would bring them into disrepute," it added.

The commission said it was worried about the spate and rapidity of conflicting court orders mostly obtained exparte, involving substantially the same parties, on the same or similar grounds and from courts of coordinate jurisdiction on issues and challenges around the administration of political parties and conduct of party primaries.