Onnoghen’s trial: Attempt by APC to divert, confuse Nigerians – CUPP

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has accused the All Progressives Congress led federal government of attempting to divert attention from electoral violence being planned by the party with the planned arrest and prosecution of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen.

On Wednesday, the CCT ordered the nation’s security agencies to arrest Onnoghen for failing to appear before it.

Onnoghen, who is being prosecuted by the federal government for alleged false assets declaration, has not been at the tribunal despite being summoned.

Imo Ugochinyere, who is the spokesman of the Coalition in a statement on Wednesday, said the CCT, being influenced by the federal government, made the move to intimidate the judiciary and divert attention from the issues of sheer incompetence peculiar to the present administration.

He said, “It is ridiculous that a government that has been promising free and fair elections can be planning to arraign the country’s CJN on Friday, 24 hours to the country’s presidential election.

“We see this as a last minute effort to divert attention, confuse Nigerian voters and cover the President’s incompetence few hours to the election. It is also an attempt to divert attention from electoral violence being planned by the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The group has fixed Friday for the protest to coincide with the day the CJN would be arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, after the police and the Department of State Services ( DSS ) must have obeyed the CCT order for his arrest.

Meanwhile, Olisa Agbakoba, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the arrest warrant against Walter Onnoghen, suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), is a step taken too far.

Reacting to the arrest warrant issued against Onnoghen, Agbakoba said the CCT subverted due process and the rule of law.

He argued that the tribunal ought to have waited till the application challenging its jurisdiction to entertain the matter has been heard.

“I am shocked that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will issue a Bench warrant for the arrest of Hon. Justice Walter Onnogen, knowing full well that its jurisdiction to try the case has been challenged and the Application on challenge is on the CCT docket, and no hearing has occurred,” Agbakoba said.

“The CCT is aware that there is now before the National Judicial Council, a petition against Justice Walter Onnogen on exactly the same charges at the CCT. The CCT ought to await the outcome of the pending matters in the NJC, Appeal Court and Federal High Court.

“The conduct of the CCT subverts the Rule of Law and due process.”

The United Nations had said the decision of President Muhammadu to suspend Onnoghen, was in contravention of human rights standards.