The United State Embassy in Nigeria has expressed concern over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria

The United State Embassy in Nigeria has expressed concern over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.

Onnoghen’s suspension was announced by President Buhari on Friday, January 25, 2019, despite several court orders stopping the Federal Government and other concerned parties not to remove him until the suit on his case is heard.

The embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria was accused of failing to declare his asset.

US Embassy reacts

The US, through its embassy, issued a statement saying “The Embassy of the United States deeply concerned by the impact of the executive branch’s decision to suspend and replace the Chief Justice and head of the judicial branch without the support of the legislative branch on the eve of national and state elections.

We note widespread Nigerian criticism that this decision is unconstitutional and that it undermines the independence of the judicial branch. That undercuts the stated determination of government, candidates, and political party leaders to ensure that the elections proceed in a way that is free, fair, transparent, and peaceful – leading to a credible result. 

 We urge that the issues raised by this decision be resolved swiftly and peacefully in accordance with due process, full respect for the rule of law, and the spirit of the Constitution of Nigeria. Such action is needed urgently now to ensure that this decision does not cast a pall over the electoral process.”

You will recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo raised an alarm recently, during his state of the nation address on Sunday, January 20, 2019.

Obasanjo accused Buhari of taking the country back to the days of the military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

Timi Frank writes UN

A former spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank has also written to the United Nation to call the President to order.

In his letter, Frank said that the President’s action portents unimaginable implications for the nation’s democracy. 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Justice Tanko Mohammed has been sworn in as the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

Saraki says President Buhari went against constitution by suspending CJN

Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki considers the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria Walter Onnoghen as a gross violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

On Friday, January 25, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari announced Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as a temporary replacement for the suspended Onnoghen who is being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for failing to declare his assets which include bank accounts containing foreign currencies.

The president confirmed that the reason for the removal is as a result of a directive from the CCT.

Saraki counters this in a statement he personally signed on Friday, declaring that the duty of benching Justice Walter Onnoghen should be a joint effort between the executive, legislature and the judiciary.

By solely making the decision to sideline the Chief Judge means a breach of process.

By unilaterally suspending the CJN without following the provision of the constitution, President Buhari has sent a dangerous signal to the entire world that Nigeria is no longer a democratic nation and that we have returned to the old, jaded era of military dictatorship .

Our constitution makes no provision for suspension of the nation’s highest judicial officer. The constitution provides a clear process for removal of the CJN and specify the roles of the three arms of government, beginning from the National Judicial Council (NJC), the National Assembly and lastly, the Presidency, have different roles to play in that process.

There is no condition under which the President can usurp the powers of other arms of government,” Dr. Bukola Saraki says in a statement.

He has called for reactions to put an end to the independent move made by the president.

Earlier, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar also called for the reinstatement of the CJN describing his removal as undemocratic and a strategy Buhari hopes to use to win the presidential election on February 16.