A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Senate and others to justify why it should reject a suit seeking to stop them from appointing and confirming Justice Ibrahim Muhammad as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order while refusing an ex-parte motion for interim injunctions filed byt the Board of Incorporated Trustees of Malcolm Omirhobo Foundation.

Justice Ekwo, in a ruling on Friday, an enrolled copy of which was sighted yesterday, declined to grant all the reliefs sought by the applicant.

Instead, the judge ordered the defendants to, within seven days after being served, show cause why the applicants’ reliefs should not be granted.

The judge said: “None of the prayers made on this motion ex-parte can be granted in the absence of the defendants.

“The plaintiff is hereby ordered to put the ‘ defendants on notice.

“The defendants are hereby granted seven days, upon being served, to appear and show cause why the application of the plaintiff ought not to be granted.
“Case adjourned to 13th day of May, 2019 for the defendants to show cause.”

The plaintiff/applicant had, in its motion ex-parte, prayed the court for “an order of interim injunction restraining the 5th defendant (Buhari) from appointing the 3rd defendant (Justice Muhammad) as the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the motion on notice filed herein.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the 7th defendant (the Senate President) from confirming the appointment of the 3rd defendant as the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

Named as defendants in the suit, are NJC, Federal Judicial Service Commission of Nigeria (FJSCN), Justice Muhammad, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Senate.