Justice Chima Centus (CC) Nweze of the Supreme Court of Nigeria has been reported dead at the age of 64.
Recall that Justice Nwaeze had, in a dissenting judgement in 2020, declared Emeka Ihedioha of the People Democratic Party, PDP, winner of the 2019 Governorship election in Imo State.
Also, in a split judgement of three-against-two, Nweze delivered the controversial judgement of the Supreme Court which declared then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Yobe North Senatorial District for the 25 February general election.
Justice Nweze, a native of Obollo, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, was born on September 25, 1958.
The jurist, until his death, ranked the fifth most senior among the 13 judges of the Supreme Court.
Mr Nweze, who still had six years before attaining the statutory retirement age of 70, died on Saturday, according to Supreme Court sources.
The circumstances of his death are unclear, as the Supreme Court has yet to make an official announcement.
Mr Nweze, until his death, ranked the fifth most senior among the 13 judges of the Supreme Court.
Mr Nweze, elevated to the Supreme Court bench in 2014, participated in various panels that gave consequential judgements, some of which were his lead decisions.
The jurist, who bagged his law degree from the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka, in Enugu State, in 1983, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.
He began his judicial career with his appointment as a judge of the Enugu State High Court in November 1995.
He was elevated to the Court of Appeal of Nigeria on 15 February 2008.
He served at the Court of Appeal until October 2014, when he was elevated to Nigeria’s Supreme Court as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on 29 October 2014.
Mr Nweze, known for his prodigious academic writings, was also a doctorate holder.
He was also reputed for his oratorical prowess and flowery usage of words to simplify legal matters in his judgements.
Mr Nweze, given his intellectual bent, was one of the most regarded Justices of the Supreme Court.
His sudden death adds to the burden of his 12 surviving colleagues, deepening the manpower crisis the court has suffered since last year.
It also constitutes a setback to the court’s recent efforts to attain its full complement of 21 justices.
