PDP, Atiku, Saraki reject the appointment of Mohammed as acting CJN
On Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari Suspended the current CJN Justice Onnoghen and appointed Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed who is from Bauchi State as acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Buhari gave the reason that the Code of Conduct Tribunal gave an order directing him to suspended the CJN and also because of his pending case with the code of conduct tribunal.
Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan the PDP National Publicity Secretary and Director Media and Publicity PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) had on Friday issued a statement on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and Atiku Abubakar its Presidential Candidate, rejecting in entirety the attempt from President Buhari to foist an illegal CJN on the nation while Justice Onnoghen remains in office.
Speaking about Buhari’s actions called on the National Assembly to reconvene and begin a legislative action against Buhari and called on the international community to take not of Buhari’s action as an assault on the judiciary and a means to subverting 2019 General Elections.
“There can be no two Chief Justices of Nigeria. Our constitution is clear on how a Chief Justice is appointed and removed, as such does not lie on the prerogative of the President. “As such, we urge all Nigerians and the international community to recognize only Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria”.
“Nigeria is a democratic state governed by the constitution and the law and Nigerians will never allow anybody to appropriate rulership to himself outside the dictates of the law,” Ologbondiyan said.
Atiku Abubakar speaking said,
“The fact that the unlawful suspension of Onnoghen was announced just as it became public knowledge that the CJN was constituting the election petition tribunals is not lost on discerning Nigerians and the international community. ”
“This act of desperation is geared towards affecting the outcome of the 2019 Presidential elections”.
“Indeed, it is not just the CJN that has been “suspended”, it is the Nigerian Constitution that has been infracted and, in effect, suspended, under the guise of the suspension of the CJN”.
“The judiciary is the last hope of the common man and the defender of our democracy. “I also urge the international community to follow the commendable example of the United States and the United Kingdom by intervening to make those involved in this undemocratic act know that their actions will have consequences. Strong consequences.”
In a similar statement, the Senate President Bukola Saraki said
“There are already the general belief that this action was taken to pre-empt the already scheduled inauguration of election petition tribunals by Onnoghen.
“By unilaterally suspending the CJN without following the provision of the constitution is a dangerous signal to the entire world.
“Our Constitution makes no provision for suspension of the nation’s highest judicial officer. The constitution provides a clear process for removal of the CJN and specifies the roles of the three arms of government, beginning from the National Judicial Council (NJC), the National Assembly and the Presidency.
“They all have different roles to play in that process, ” he said.
Also in a series of tweets, Nigerians have equally rejected the suspension of Onnoghen as CJN.
On the #OnnoghenSuspension, @obyezeks and @BOGconcept lend their voice.#TyrantBuhari will NOT succeed in plunging our country into crisis.#BuhariOut #IStandWithOnnoghen #TheFutureInOurHands@akaebube @MrStanleyNwabia @Stalyf @AnthonyEhilebo @DemolaRewaju @Tutsy22 @YemieFASH pic.twitter.com/ysgTfI6DsT
— Atikulated Youth Force (@AYF2019) January 26, 2019