In his speech entitled ‘Repositioning the Justice System: Constitutional, Statutory, and Operational Reforms for Access and Efficiency’, Senate President Godswill Akpabio called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to stop judges from abusing ex parte orders, especially in political cases.
The recent cases involving the former governors of Kano and Kogi states, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Yahaya Bello respectively had renewed the calls to address the issue.
In the case of Ganduje, a state High Court and a Federal High Court gave conflicting ex-parte orders with regard to his purported suspension as a member of the All Progressives Congress; while for Bello, a state High Court and a Federal High Court contradicted each other on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) move to arrest him.
Akpabio said it was imperative for the NJC to exercise stringent oversight to curb the misuse of ex parte orders.
He said the NJC should also conduct regular audits and reviews of ex-parte orders issued by judges to ensure compliance with established standards.
The Senate president also called for prompt and decisive punishment for erring judges found to be involved in this abuse.
“We further propose that the NJC establish clear and detailed standards governing the issuance of ex parte orders, accompanied by a defined set of sanctions for violations.
“These sanctions should be severe enough to deter people from future abuses,” the Senate president added.
He said a proactive approach would help in identifying patterns of abuse early and in administering corrective measures promptly.
Akpabio also emphasised the importance of ongoing training and education for judges on the ethical and responsible use of judicial discretion in issuing ex parte orders.
