Justice Nweze, Dissenting Voice In Imo Governorship Election Judgement at SC, Dies At 64; NBA Mourns

By Gideon Njoku

He was called by many names, including the lone voice in the wilderness by virtue of his dissenting voice in the 2019 Imo Governorship case at the Supreme Court.

While six other Supreme Court Justices, including the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, declared Senator Hope Uzodinma Governor of Imo State, and sacked the Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Governor in January 2020, after seven months in office, the Honourable Justice Centus Nweze dissented and wrote a minority judgement.

On Sunday, July 30, 2023, that lone voice at the time died at the age of 64.

By his death, the South-east Zone of Nigeria, has no  Justice at the Supreme Court. One of the Zone’s  representatives, the Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili, retired at 70, the other, Justice Sylvester Ngwuta passed in 2021 at the age of 69.

A native of Enugu State, Nweze was  appointed to the Supreme Court in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Nweze, before he went to the Bench was legal adviser to Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, a former Governor of Enugu State.

Born on September 25, 1958, he acquired all his degrees, including his PhD from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

Reacting to the death of Justice Nweze, the President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, described him as a courageous Judge.

In a statement signed by Akorede Habeeb Lawal, Publicity Secretary, NBA, on behalf of the President, the NBA said in part: “His Lordship’s numerous decisions have shaped, impacted and developed our law and jurisprudence. He was a disciplined, hardworking and courageous judicial officer.”