Supreme Court Justice Chima Nweze dies at 64

Justice Chima Centus Nweze of the Supreme Court of Nigeria is dead.

Justice Nweze who passed on yesterday, at the age of 64, had been battling illness for the past few years, and his health had significantly declined during this time.

Reports say his ailing health played a role in the recent unrest among Supreme Court Justices, who expressed their concerns during the tenure of the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Justice Nweze is well-known for his dissenting judgment in the application filed by Emeka Ihedioha, a former governor of Imo State. Ihedioha had asked the apex court to review its judgement on his removal from office, but while the majority of the seven-man panel disagreed with him, Justice Nweze, found merit in the application.

Justice Nweze also nullified the declaration of Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor on account of “wrong declaration” and held that Uzodinma misled the court into unjust conclusion with the unverified votes in 388 polling units.

“This decision of the Supreme Court will continue to hunt our electoral jurisprudence for a long time to come,” he had said at the time.

The Supreme Court is however yet to confirm the death of Justice Nweze.