…To replace him with Justice Tanko Mohammed as acting CJN
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has alleged fresh plot by the cabal of the presidency to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen if he fails to show up for his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday despite a subsisting order of the Federal High Court which has directed the Tribunal to maintain status quo.
Speaking in a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the 1st Spokesperson of the CUPP, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere noted that just few hours after the CUPP released the secret letter directing the freezing of the account of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen illegally without a court order, the cabals had at the end of their meeting two nights ago directed the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Mr. Danladi Umar to disregard the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja which has directed the Tribunal to maintain status quo and go ahead to issue a bench warrant on the next adjourned date being Tuesday the 22nd January, 2019 in the event the CJN did not appear in Court.
Ugochinyere pointed out that the meeting of the Presidency cabal also resolved and directed the new Acting Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu to effect the immediate arrest of the CJN on the same Tuesday as effort would be made to ensure he was served with the order same day, following the issuance of the arrest warrant adding that the arrest would be a litmus test for his speedy confirmation as the substantive Inspector General.
He further alleged that the cabals further resolved that another petition would now be forwarded to the National Judicial Council and that petition had already been drafted in the Chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria even as he said that this petition would precede the other frivolous and trumped up allegations which would be submitted against Justice Mary Peter-Odili, Justice Cletus Nweze and Justice Rhodes Vivour just to scare them away and tarnish their good names.
He disclosed the names of those in the meeting to include; Rotimi Amechi, Nasir El-Rufai, Abubakar Malami, Boss Mustapha, and the unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria working with Rotimi Amechi who he said drafted the petition even as he alleged that the President was aware of this plot as the meeting rose with the resolution that Rotimi Amechi and El-Rufai would go to brief the President immediately.
He continued,” The President has weaponized his failed fight against corruption. The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal was once again reminded of his pending criminal charges and conscripted that as long as he issued the arrest warrant nobody will move against him. Nigerians, the said charges against the Chairman of the Tribunal has already been filed and is being handled by the Spokesman of the Buhari Campaign Organization, Mr. Festus Keyamo. This is a copy of the charge already filed.
“The plan on Tuesday to get Danladi Umar to issue a bench warrant against the CJN; the plan on Tuesday to get the acting IGP to arrest the CJN and the plan on Tuesday to forcibly arraign the CJN are solely aimed at forcing the CJN out of office hence paving the way for a well-known pro-Buhari Judge, Justice Tanko Mohammed who is the Deputy Chaiman of the NJC to take over and do all their bidding. Let it be known that unless and until the CJN is found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, he will not resign!
“Know ye all men and let the lips of the opposition be read clearly; and let the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari open and hear this: Amechi, Malami, El-Rufai, Boss Mustapha and other members of the cabal that are sponsoring this inglorious offensive against the judiciary in a bid to turn it into an appendage of the APC will fail. We will resist this attempt. This is the bridge and it must not fall, we cannot retreat beyond this point and Justice Walter Onnoghen will not be illegally removed from office. God forbid! God forbid!! God forbid they succeed.
“They want to force him out at all cost and put an acting CJN who’s bidding will include setting up appeal panels to resolve the Rivers and Zamfara APC crisis in favour of the APC and the other States where they fear they will lose elections including Akwa Ibom State, Delta State, Lagos state, Benue State, Imo State, Kwara State, Plateau state, Kaduna State, Abia State and Sokoto State and also constitute a pro Buhari post presidential election Tribunal.
“The CJN may not speak out because of the demands of his office but we will not as the opposition, the bearers of the conscience and consciousness of the Nigerian people keep quiet and allow these felons to desecrate the Nigerian judiciary. The only way the CJN can leave office is by Section 292 of the Constitution or by a proper conviction and not by stepping aside from the NJC. We are shouting it from the roof tops; let them put the CJN in handcuffs, let Danladi Umar in dancing to the tune of his APC blackmailers and issue arrest warrant, let the IG dance to the tune of the litmus test of arresting the CJN, let the APC funded petition be brought to the NJC, Justice Onnoghen will not be forced out of office.
“President Buhari! President Buhari! President Buhari! It is time to apply your brakes! Do not allow your political children who learnt their politics from the manual of Mobutu Seseseko, Idi Amin and Nkurunzizia lead you to burn down and destroy the institution of the judiciary and burn down Nigeria. It is on that note that we call on Justice Tanko Mohammed to stay away from these people and refuse that poisoned chalice that will destroy permanently the institution of the judiciary.
“Furthermore, there is also an ongoing pressure on the members of the NJC and moves to conscript them to force the CJN out of office. Nigerians must rise now before this final bridge of the semblance of constitutional governance falls. Once again we shout; if you are sleeping- wake up; if you are eating- stop; if you are playing- stop; the enemies have gotten to the last bridge and it is either we stop them or we lose our country. We must all stand up now. The court is the last hope of the common man, if they take over we shall be made slaves in our fatherland and the fundamental rights of citizens will become luxury”.
He therefore called on the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to take up this matter and speak on behalf of the Bench adding that progressive and conscious lawyers should all march to the Tribunal on Tuesday and stand shoulder to shoulder with the opposition to salvage the conquest of the judiciary from anti-democratic forces.
“We weep, Nigerian people weep, not because of what they are doing but because of the silence of men of goodwill who have now been made to live in fear in their own country and because of the long term implication on our country’s democracy. How we have used our hands to put our country into trouble. Where did we go wrong? Why? Who did Nigeria offend? It was Saraki yesterday! It was Dino! It was Deji Adeyanju! Justice Ademola! It was peaceful citizens protesting! Now they are not afraid of anything or anybody, they are now after the CJN and the sacred institution of the judiciary and they want to destroy everything. Buhari why? Amechi why? El-Rufai why? Why? Nigerians have we like the President’s wife said allowed two or three people to hijack the Presidency and we are busy licking their shoes? Wherever Azikiwe, Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa are now, they will be writhing in pain as this is not what the planned for Nigeria”, he added.
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