The Supreme Court of Nigeria has described a statement made by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, during the inauguration of a project built by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, as untrue.
CJN Ariwoola had spoken on the five governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who were loyal to governor Wike.
The CJN reportedly expressed that he was happy that the Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde, was among the five governors.
The Supreme Court’s Director of Press and Information, Dr. Festus Akande, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, expressed that the CJN’s statement was twisted.
Titled “Re-CJN: I’m happy Makinde is among G5 Governors”, the statement partly reads, “ Our attention has been drawn to a statement with the above caption making rounds in both conventional and social media. We wish to state unequivocally clear that the CJN, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, GCON had never at any point said such during his brief remarks at the State Banquet organized as part of events lined up for the commissioning of the two judiciary projects undertaken by the Rivers State government.
“Issues bordering on misconceptions and misrepresentations of this nature are not always strange in times like this when the country is preparing for general elections, as some people may want to take advantage of every opportunity to score very cheap goals. As we all know, this is the era of aggressive and even unconventional politicking, so, there’s nothing that will not be heard or seen at this crucial time, especially between now and February 2023, when the general elections will be conducted.
“People say whatever they choose to say, just to please their selfish interests and inordinate desires. We can’t really pinpoint where such barefaced falsehood is coming from; and certainly, we don’t also know at what point the CJN said he was happy that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State was a member of the now christened Integrity Group’ or “G5 Governors.”
