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| NBA President, Paul Usoro (SAN) |
CNPP backs Buhari on Onnoghen’s suspension
Onnoghen to challenge suspension in court
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has summoned an emergency national executive council meeting over Onnoghen’s suspension.
This is as a group, the National Interest Defenders, has planned a protest rally to the NBA National Secretariat for Monday (today).
According to a notice of the rally, the group is made of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, public interest activists, opposition politicians, good governance activists and civil society organisations, different ethnic and religious leaders.
The NBA NEC meeting follows a statement earlier released on Friday night by the NBA condemning the swearing in of Justice Tanko Muhammad as the acting CJN.
Newsmen gathered that the meeting was called to consider the strategy to press for a reversal of the action.
A senior member of the bar said, “We are going to have a serious deliberation with a view to engaging the Federal Government.”
Asked what strategy was in the offing, the member said, “That will be like putting the cart before the horse. We will consider all options allowed in law, the independence of the judiciary must be secured.”
The NBA President, Paul Usoro (SAN), confirmed the meeting to one of our correspondents.
He, however, refused to divulge the agenda of the meeting.
He said, “Yes, we are having our NEC meeting Monday. Why not wait till then for further briefing.”
MEANWHILE, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, will on Monday (today) challenge his suspension by President Muhammadu Buhari in court.
This is just as the National Judicial Council’s 88th meeting in Abuja has been delayed following fears of a possible clash between supporters of Onnoghen and the acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed.
A senior advocate, who is a member of Onnoghen’s legal team, told one of our correspondents that it had become necessary to do so as the suspension of a CJN by a President was unprecedented.
He said, “We will be going to court to challenge the suspension of the CJN. The President relied on a CCT order despite the fact that the Court of Appeal had restrained all parties from removing the chief justice.
“The CJN was not even served with the court processes before he was removed by the President. So, all these will be challenged in court. When the processes have been filed, the documents will be made public.”
When asked why the CJN waited for three days before challenging his removal, the source said, “He was suspended late on Friday and you know courts do not sit on Saturday and Sunday.”
CNPP backs Buhari on Onnoghen’s suspension
But the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties in Ekiti State said the bravery displayed by Buhari in suspending Onnoghen was an indication that he had capacity to end corruption.
The CNPP state chairman, Olu Akomolafe, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, said, “Onnoghen as a chief law officer in the country was supposed to have stepped aside or resigned to allow for a free, fair and unbiased trial since the beginning of the imbroglio that led to his abrupt departure as the CJN in order to uphold the sanctity of the judiciary in Nigeria.”
This is just as the National Judicial Council’s 88th meeting in Abuja has been delayed following fears of a possible clash between supporters of Onnoghen and the acting CJN, Justice Tanko Mohammed.
A senior advocate, who is a member of Onnoghen’s legal team, told one of our correspondents that it had become necessary to do so as the suspension of a CJN by a President was unprecedented.
He said, “We will be going to court to challenge the suspension of the CJN. The President relied on a CCT order despite the fact that the Court of Appeal had restrained all parties from removing the chief justice.
“The CJN was not even served with the court processes before he was removed by the President. So, all these will be challenged in court. When the processes have been filed, the documents will be made public.”
When asked why the CJN waited for three days before challenging his removal, the source said, “He was suspended late on Friday and you know courts do not sit on Saturday and Sunday.”
CNPP backs Buhari on Onnoghen’s suspension
But the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties in Ekiti State said the bravery displayed by Buhari in suspending Onnoghen was an indication that he had capacity to end corruption.
The CNPP state chairman, Olu Akomolafe, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, said, “Onnoghen as a chief law officer in the country was supposed to have stepped aside or resigned to allow for a free, fair and unbiased trial since the beginning of the imbroglio that led to his abrupt departure as the CJN in order to uphold the sanctity of the judiciary in Nigeria.”
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