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By Nasir Kura
President Muhammadu Buhammadu Buhari has suspended Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and replaced him with Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi state in acting capacity.
Justice Mohammed, said to be the next in line in the hierarchy of the Supreme Court judges, was sworn-in by the President at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The new acting CJN was driven into the forecourt of the President’s office at about 4:30pm in a black Mercedes Benz C240 with number plate GWA900FA.
Speaking at swearing-in of the new acting CJN, the President said Onnoghen was suspended based on the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on January 23, 2019.
The President said Onnoghen and his team made nonsense of country’s judiciary.
He said: “Since he has charges of corruption filed against him, he would have acted smoothly to spear our judicial arm further disrepute by excusing himself from superintending over it while his trial lasted.
“But unfortunately, he has not done so, instead the nation has been tilted to the scuffle of spectacle of judicial adjudicate in which the Chief Justice of Nigeria and his legal team have made nonsense of the Court of Conduct Tribunal to hear the allegation and conclude the charges as quick as possible.
“We have all seen the conduct of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, decent on the one of the heads of the court of justice under his control by not obeying the office of this court from the chairman to the judges. Not only the trial court, but others have been put on the spot. Practically, every day since his trial commenced, the nation has witness various courts granting orders to counter the case in favour of the CJN.
“Nigeria is a constitutional democracy, and no one can be or be seen to be above the law. No ordinary Nigerian can get the swift and the kind of support the CJN gets from his subordinates.
“As a government, we cannot stand and fold our hands helplessly. The effort of the executive will amount to nothing without the cooperation of the other arms especially the judiciary. This government is concerned about the suspected persons facing corruption trials have been set from under the watch of the CJN.
“This has clearly defeated the effort of this administration to develop and prosper. It is against this background that I receive the notice from the CCT directing me to suspend the CJN until final determination of charges against him.
“Therefore, with the directive of the CCT in a letter dated 23rd January, 2019, accordingly, I hereby suspend HON Justice Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria until the final determination of the case against him in the Court of Conduct Tribunal.
“In further compliance to the request of the CCT, I hereby, order Hon Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed being the most senior justice in the Supreme Court, to come up and take his oath as the Chief Justice of Nigeria in acting capacity.”
