Supreme Court Judge Who Returned Lawan, Justice Chima Centus Nweze is Dead

Supreme Court Judge, Justice Chima Centus Nweze is dead.

Newsone reports that one of the esteemed justices of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, Justice Chima Centus Nweze is dead.  Justice Chima passed away on Sunday, July 30, at the age of 64.

This online news platform understands that the news of the death of Justice Chima Centus Nweze was officially confirmed by the Supreme Court on Monday.

Further affirming Nweze’s death, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), in a brief communique said he has received with shock and dismay the news of the Judge’s passing.

“Hon. Justice Nweze was an astute and erudite jurist. His lordship’s numerous decisions have shaped, impacted and developed our law and jurisprudence. He was a disciplined, hardworking, and courageous judicial officer.

“The NBA President condoles with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Kayode Ariwoola, GCON, the entire Nigerian Judiciary, the Government and People of Enugu State, friends and family of Hon. Justice Nweze over the demise of his lordship and prays that the Almighty God comforts his lordship’s family and friends,” the statement partly read.

Born on September 25, 1958, in Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, southeast Nigeria, Newsone Nigeria reports that Justice Nweze’s contribution to the judiciary was exceptional. His appointment to the supreme court in 2014 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan, following the National Judicial Council’s recommendation, marked a significant chapter in his distinguished legal career.

Meanwhile, Newsone Nigeria recalls that Justice Chima Centus Nweze was one of the Supreme Court justices who led the panel of judges that returned Ahmed Lawan, a former senate president back to the Nigerian Senate after he contested in presidential primaries).

Justice Nweze was also the only judge who stood his ground against a majority decision of the apex court which had declared Hope Uzodinma the winner of the Imo state governorship election in 2019.

In a dissenting judgment, Nweze held that Mr. Uzodinma misled the court by crediting unverified votes in 388 polling units to himself.

“This decision of the Supreme Court will continue to hunt our electoral jurisprudence for a long time to come.

“This court has a duty of redeeming its image, it is against this background that the finality of the court cannot extinguish the right of any person.

“I am of the view that this application should succeed. I hereby make an order repealing the decision of this court made on January 14 and that the certificate of return issued to the appellant(Uzodinma) returned to INEC.

“I also make an order restoring the respondents (Ihedioha) as the winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election,” Mr Nweze had said in his minority verdict.

His verdict, however, could not overturn the majority decision of his brother judges comprising of former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, current CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, Sylvester Ngwuta, and Kudirat Kekere-E.