Onnoghen: Politicising the Appointment of CJN is dangerous, Buhari’s aide warns

By Inyali Peter, Calabar

The Senior Special Assistant on Prosecution to President Muhammadu Buhari, Barrister Okoi Obono-obla has warned lawyers and politicians to stop politicising the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) describing such antics as “dangerous and unfortunate”.

Obla who made the warning in a statement issued on Friday and made available to newsmen  said that the President has not committed any offence by appointing Justice Walter Onnoghen in Acting capacity.

The President over the past few weeks has come under attack for the delay in sending Justice Onnoghen’s name to the Senate for conformation as the substantive CJN.

However, the President’s aides maintained that the attacks on the President for this delay is misplaced, self-serving and unacceptable.

He commended Justice Onnoghen for disassociating himself from what he deacribed as “unwarranted and needless campaign and attacks on the person of President Buhari by some self-seeking and opportunistic meddlesome interlopers”.

According to the statement, “The orchestrated personal attacks, innuendoes, accusations and allegations being levelled against President Muhammadu Buhari by some interest groups including some senior lawyers over his alleged delay in nomination of Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria is totally and completely misplaced and wrong.

“The opportunistic and self-serving campaign by some senior lawyers and groups is regrettably unacceptable.
I make bold to say that President Muhammadu Buhari has not violated any provision of the Constitution as far as the issue of the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria is concerned”.

Relating the situation to what has transpired before in the appointment of judicial officers in the country, he said that ” It is settled that Justice Ayo Salami was removed from office as President of the Court of Appeal on the 11th August 2011; late Justice Dalhatu Adamu was appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by then then President Goodluck Jonathan in August 2011.

He held the office in an acting capacity for 15 over months. After 15 months, the name of late Justice Dalhatu was not eventually recommended to President Jonathan for nomination as the substantive President Court of Appeal by the National Judicial Council; rather the name of Justice Zainab Bulkachawa was recommended and sent by the then  President to the Senate on the 19 March, 2014 for confirmation.

“Before then, Justice Zainab Bulkachawa was appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by President Jonathan and was in office for almost one year before her name was sent to the Senate for confirmation as President of the Court of Appeal.

“It follows that the Court of Appeal had an Acting President from August 2011 to March, 2014; where were these senior lawyers who are now giving the impression that there had never any precedence over an acting appointment concerning senior judicial appointments in the country then?

“Some of the senior lawyers who are vociferous in the condemnation of President Buhari now were then members of the National Judicial Council but they buried their heads inside ground like the ostrich”

He added that it is misleading for some senior lawyers to create the impression that there has never been any precedence concerning the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“One time Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi was appointed in Acting capacity in 2007 by then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo before he was eventually nominated and confirmed by the Senate!

“Where were these senior lawyers who are unethically and unreasonably trying to politicise the appointment today? .
On the 9th September 2009, the then

“Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (as he then was) sworn into office Honourable Justice Dantshoho Abutu (as then then was) as the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court after the retirement of then then Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Mustapha Abdullahi (as he then was) on the 4th September, 2009.

The appointment of Honourable Justice Dantshoho Abutu (as then then was) as Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court was okayed by the then late President Umaru Musa Yaradua.

Are these senior lawyers now trying to lie to us suffering from anaemia? Or are they simply mischievous?

“In so many States of the Federation we had had these Acting appointments of Chief Judges of these States. Presently in Enugu State, the Chief Judge is on acting capacity”, the statement reads in part.

He advised those dissatisfied with the situation to seek clarification from the Attorney General of the federation or the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo who are both experienced lawyers.

He said, “These senior lawyers should meet and discuss with the learned Honourable Attorney General of the Federation or even the Acting President who is well respected in the legal circle than unfortunately  grandstanding and trying to further desecrate the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria by politicising it”.