The Benue State House of Assembly has passed a resolution to seek the Supreme Court’s interpretation of Section 292 (1) A (11) of the Constitution, which pertains to the removal of a Chief Judge.
The resolution was moved during the House plenary on Friday by the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer. He described it as an aberration for the state Assembly to have secured a two-thirds majority vote supporting the recommendation to remove the State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, on February 18, 2025, only to face subsequent criticism.
Recall that on the aforementioned date, the Benue State Assembly passed a resolution recommending the removal of Justice Ikpambese over allegations of misconduct and abuse of office. However, the decision was met with condemnation from the Senate, the Nigerian Bar Association, the National Judicial Council, and other concerned groups.
During the plenary, Tiseer argued that the bill currently before the House of Representatives, which passed its second reading on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, vindicated the Benue State Assembly. The bill, titled ‘A Bill to Give the National Judicial Council a Role in the Removal of a Chief Judge,’ indicates that the NJC presently has no constitutional role in the removal of a Chief Judge.
He said, “The bill by the National Assembly means that the NJC currently has no role in the removal of the Chief Judge as clearly stated in section 292 (1) a (11) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.”
The Speaker of the House, Hyacinth Dajoh, who presided over the session, affirmed that the Assembly would promptly approach the Supreme Court for a clear interpretation of the constitutional provision. He noted that the step was necessary to resolve the controversies surrounding the House’s earlier recommendation to remove the Chief Judge.
