Why Buhari removed me as Chief Justice of Nigeria – Onnoghen.
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen (rtd.) disclosed on Friday, in Abuja,the reason President Muhammadu Buhari sacked him from office.
Speaking at a public presentation of a book titled, ‘Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, Practice, Procedure, Forms, and Precedents’, authored by Chief Ogwu James Onoja (SAN), Onnoghen said he was removed from office based on the false allegation that he held a meeting with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, in Dubai, shortly before 2019 general elections.
The ex CJN said the Federal Government had all the means at its disposal to investigate whether he met with Atiku , but chose to nail him, by arranging his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal without invitation.
“Prior to my suspension, I was confronted with no allegation. There were rumours that I met with Atiku in Dubai. As I am talking here today, I have never met Atiku one on one in my life. As if that was not enough, I was also accused of setting free, high-profile criminals, whereas I ceased to be a High Court Judge as far back as 1978,”
Onnoghen said.
“In the Supreme Court, I did not sit alone. we sit in a panel. In all these rumours and outright accusations, I was not given an opportunity to defend myself.
“Let me make it clear that the office of the CJN was not for Onnoghen but for all Nigerians who had sworn to guide and protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“To say the least, the period of my ordeal was the darkest era in the history of the Nigerian judiciary
“As I have severally, Judicial officers must be courageous. And I want to beg all serving judicial officers not to be discouraged by what happened to me in the hand of the executive arm of the government.
“Emerging Nigerian Judges should not go the direction of injustice because, without courageous judges and justice, Nigeria is doomed.
“Here, let me sound this note of warning that the appointment of judicial officers must never be allowed to be politicized, otherwise, democracy and democratic governance will be dead.
“During my tenure, the problem of Nigeria was not the Nigerian judiciary, but those who had no regard for the rule of law. We must therefore be committed to the rule of law and dispense justice without fear or favour. Truth stands, crush it, it will stand because it is truth,’ the former CJN said.
