Top officials in the Nigerian government are mounting intense pressure on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing investigation into the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, over allegations that he failed to disclose certain bank accounts in his asset declaration forms, according to a report by Premium Times.
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The newspaper, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, reported that senior political figures and judicial actors have in recent days appealed to the president to prevail on the Code of Conduct Bureau to terminate or soften its investigation of the judge.
According to Premium Times, those said to be lobbying the president include a cabinet minister from the South-South region, influential political office holders from Justice Tsoho’s native Benue State, and several senior figures within the judiciary. The appeals have reportedly been made both directly to the president and indirectly through his close associates.
The newspaper reported that President Tinubu has not taken a definitive position on the matter but has promised to reflect on it and consult further.
However, some of the president’s close associates are reportedly counselling him against intervening in the CCB investigation, warning that such a move could undermine the administration’s anti-corruption posture. They argue that interfering in the bureau’s work could set a dangerous precedent and expose the president to criticism from opposition parties and anti-graft activists, particularly as political tensions rise ahead of the next electoral cycle.
When contacted by the newspaper, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said he was unaware that pressure was being mounted on the president over the matter.
The controversy has also sent shockwaves through the judiciary. Premium Times reported that the National Judicial Council, chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, had scheduled an urgent meeting for March 6 to deliberate on allegations against Justice Tsoho. However, the meeting was abruptly called off late on March 5.
Members of the council were reportedly not given a formal explanation for the cancellation, but insiders told the newspaper that the decision was taken to allow more time for behind-the-scenes efforts to persuade the president to intervene.
The CCB’s investigation followed a Premium Times report which revealed that Justice Tsoho allegedly failed to disclose some of his bank accounts in the asset declaration form he submitted to the bureau on April 29, 2024.
Documents reviewed by the newspaper showed that the judge did not declare three accounts held with United Bank for Africa as well as another account domiciled with Access Bank. Under Nigeria’s Code of Conduct regime, public officials are required to fully disclose all assets, including bank accounts and funds held in them. Non-disclosure or false declaration constitutes a breach of the law and may attract severe sanctions.
If the allegations are substantiated and the matter proceeds to the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the judge could face penalties ranging from removal from office to disqualification from holding public office for up to 10 years, as well as forfeiture of improperly declared assets.
Justice Tsoho has said he is willing to cooperate with investigators. In a statement issued through the court’s Director of Information, Catherine Christopher, the chief judge said he would appear before the CCB once his lawyer, Kanu Agabi, returns to Nigeria from a medical trip abroad.
The statement said any date within the week beginning March 16 would be convenient for him to attend the inquiry.
Premium Times noted that Nigeria’s Constitution prescribes a strict process for removing heads of superior courts. Under Section 292(1)(a) of the Constitution, the president cannot remove the Chief Judge on his own initiative. Such a removal can only occur after the Senate passes a resolution supported by a two-thirds majority, calling on the president to remove the judicial officer for inability to discharge functions of office or for misconduct or contravention of the Code of Conduct.
If the Code of Conduct Tribunal convicts Justice Tsoho, President Tinubu can then address a letter to the Senate requesting his removal. Alternatively, the judge could be advised to resign to spare him the process that removal could bring.
The unfolding controversy has drawn comparisons with the high-profile case of former Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen, who was controversially convicted and removed from office in 2019 after the Code of Conduct Tribunal found him guilty of failing to declare several bank accounts. Although the Court of Appeal later overturned Onnoghen’s conviction in 2024 following a settlement agreement with the federal government, the episode remains one of the most contentious cases of judicial accountability in Nigeria’s recent history.
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