ONNOGHEN: PDP rejects ‘illegal CJN’ appointed by Buhari, calls for international sanctions

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The opposition party said it “rejects in its entirety, the attempts by President Muhammadu Buhari to foist an illegal Chief Justice on the nation while the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen is still in office.”

Buhari on Friday suspended Onnoghen on the claims that the Code of Conduct Tribunal ordered that the CJN be suspended pending his trial over none assets declaration at the tribunal.

Buhari, same Friday inaugurated Justice Tanko Muhammad as Acting CJN.
But the PDP said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media and Publicity PDP Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO), Kola Ologbondiyan, that “such impunity cannot stand, as Nigeria is a nation governed by law and not by the whims and caprices of a dictatorial leader. President Buhari wants to ruin our country and we will never allow him.”

The statement read in part, “The PDP says Nigerians must reject the incendiary move by President Buhari to forcefully suspend our constitution, annex the judicial arm of government and open the nation up for full-blown totalitarianism to achieve his self-succession bid, having realized that he cannot win in the 2019 general election.

“President Buhari’s action in attempting to unilaterally appoint a Chief Justice and foist him on our country is a direct invitation to anarchy, national confusion and a monumental crisis capable of derailing our democracy and destroying our corporate existence as a nation.

“It is now clear to the world that President Buhari, in his selfish self-succession bid, is out to cause mayhem in our nation and truncate the smooth conduct of the 2019 election, not minding the consequential human and material losses.

“There can be no two Chief Justices of Nigeria. Our constitution is clear on how a Chief Justice is appointed and removed as such does not lie on the prerogative of the President. As such, we urge all Nigerians and the international community to recognize only Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“Furthermore, the PDP invites the international community and particularly the United States and the United Kingdom to note that this assault on the judiciary is geared towards subverting the 2019 general elections and as such immediately list President Buhari and APC leaders for proposed sanctions on election riggers and perpetrators of violence in the general election.”