“Nigeria Judiciary is Now Corrupt” – Supreme Court Judge, Muhammad Says As He Retires From Office

Justice Muhammad, who spent 47 years in active judicial service, bowed out of the apex court bench on Friday, having clocked the 70 years mandatory retirement age. He reportedly pulled out from the seven-man panel that dismissed all the appeals that sought to remove President Tinubu from office.

He used the opportunity of a valedictory session that was organised in his honour by the Supreme Court, to address what he observed as rots in the judiciary that have continued to affect the justice delivery system in the country. He accused the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, of abusing the powers of his office.

On the current composition of the bench of the apex court, Justice Muhammad alleged that the refusal to fill the vacant slot of South East on the apex court bench, was deliberate, blaming it on “absolute powers vested in the office of the CJN.”

He further stressed that with his retirement, the North Central zone which he represented, would no longer have a Justice on the Supreme Court bench.

“As it stands, only four geo-political regions- the South-West, South-South, North-West and North-East are represented in the Supreme Court.

“While the South-South and North-East have two serving justices, the North-West and South-West are fully represented with three each.

On the issue of membership of the panel that heard the Presidential election appeals by candidates of the PDP and the Labour Party, Justice Muhammad, said:

“To ensure justice and transparency in presidential appeals from the lower court, all geo-political zones are required to participate in the hearing.

“It is therefore dangerous for democracy and equity for two entire regions to be left out in the decisions that will affect the generality of Nigerians.

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