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The National Judicial Counsel (NJC) yesterday confirmed that it had accepted a copy of the court process filed by the President, Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Salami, asking the court to set aside the directive that he offer an apology to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, and the NJC for allegedly lying on oath.
This was revealed in a media briefing by the director of administration and head of secretariat of the NJC, Mr. E. I. Odukwu.
He said that contrary to the allegation that the council had refused the court process served on it, the NJC had simply asked Salami’s lawyers to go back and get the process signed and dated.
Odukwu said that when the two lawyers, Mr. Oluwaseun Ben and Mr. Joshua Oghene from Chief Akinola Olujinmu (SAN) chambers, brought the court process, it was discovered that it was undated and unsigned.
He said the two lawyers confirmed to them that the non-signing and dating of the writ was a mistake from the court registry of the federal high court, Abuja.
“Having been certified by the secretary that it was indeed duly signed and dated, the writ was accepted on August 16, 2011,” he said.
The council however lamented the sensational publications that trailed the allegation that the NJC secretariat evaded or rejected the service of the court process.
“In all the suits that the NJC has been a party, it is on record that it has never refused any properly issued court process,” he stated.