Onnoghen’s Suspension: FG Wants To ‘Get Rid Of The Judiciary’ – Afegbua
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A spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Kasim Afegbua, has condemned the suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
He also described the suspension of Justice Onnoghen as an alleged attempt by the Federal Government to “achieve their ulterior motive” ahead of the general elections.
“What it that motive?” Afegbua questioned during his appearance on Channels Television’s political programme, Sunday Politics.
“The motive is that they just want to get rid of the judiciary, inflict maximum fear in the system, so that when elections come on February 16 and this government is voted out of power, they can unleash mayhem on the system,” he alleged.
President Muhammadu Buhari had suspended Justice Onnoghen on Friday last week and appointed Justice Tanko Mohammed as acting CJN.
According to the President, Justice Onnoghen’s suspension followed the request of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over allegations that the judge failed to declare his assets.
READ ALSO: Onnoghen’s Suspension: President Buhari Has Done No Wrong – Garba Shehu
But Afegbua believes the Tribunal lacks such jurisdiction and accused the government of encouraging corruption.
“For us, you do not say you are using corruption to fight corruption. It has to follow due process because even the CCT you are using is an inferior court of inferior jurisdiction,” he said.
The PDP campaign spokesperson added, “You asked him to step aside and the most senior person should take position, but you have forgotten that the Act setting up the CCT did state in Section 3B that ‘If you admit to a mistake or an error in your submissions in your asset declaration, then the matter is settled.”
He noted that his party’s position was that “two wrongs do not make a right”, insisting that the government must always follow due process in its fight against corruption.
“You say a man has committed a crime, you are also abusing the procedures of law to met out punishment on him,” Afegbua alleged.
“If you are so much in a haste to apply ex parte order on the CJN, we also expect you to take appropriate action when similar cases of this nature occurred.”
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, said his principal has not erred by suspending Justice Onnoghen following the advice of a competent court.
Shehu who was also a guest on Sunday Politics said, “The President acted on a directive by a court of law recognised by our own Constitution. Therefore, our President has done no wrong.”