Onnoghen challenges suspension in court

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has commenced a process of challenging his rash suspension by President Muhammadu Buhari in the court of law.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, who is part of the defence counsels to the CJN, hinted that the process would commence on Monday; arguing that it is necessary to challenge the action since the suspension of a CJN by a President was unprecedented.

He declared: “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.”

Meanwhile, the National Judicial Council (NJC) would be holding an emergency meeting on the suspension of the CJN by the President.

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria has also scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday.

The National President of JUSUN, Marwan Adamu, in a statement on Sunday, declared that the union would deliberate on the happenings in the Judiciary and take a stand after the meeting.

Adamu described the situation in the Judiciary as unfortunate, insisting that the independence of the Judiciary as enshrined in the constitution “is non-negotiable.”