Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Transparency and

Good Governance (CCSGTGG) has called for the resignation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, over his comment on the group of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, known as G5.

The CJN, who recently visited Port Harcourt, Rivers State, reportedly said he was happy that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was part of the G5.

Addressing newsmen in Kaduna, yesterday, Secretary General of the coalition, Muhammad Bn-Ahmad, said “the CJN has set a poor precedence” for others and ought to have the decency to step down, as most honest people do for less evident reasons.

He stated: “Nigeria is a democratic society and one that allows for free speech. The constitution has made that a reality and, as Nigerians, we are free to speak on issues of national interest, but in a guarded way. But, a thing of note is that as much as we have been licensed by the constitution to freely speak, people in certain situations or offices must be extremely careful of what to say, particularly as regards ethno-religious affiliations.

“In what recently happened in Port Harcourt, particularly over the utterances of His Lordship, Olukayode Ariwoola, the coalition has decided to, in unity, stand to emphatically consider the statements made by CJN as double standard.”

According to the group, the CJN, by the tacit endorsement of a section of the political community, has inadvertently drowned the nation’s judiciary deep into the murky waters of a kind of cut-throat politics some politicians are known for.

It added: “CCSGTGG, therefore finds it unacceptable for the CJN to continue in that position after presenting himself as an active player in a particular team, thereby completely destroying the reality and appearance of a fair, impartial and non-partisan justice administration system. We warn that it is not possible to have a successful democracy without a fair and impartial judiciary, and it is not possible to have a fair and impartial judiciary that lacks independence in partisan political

activities.”