President Muhammadu Buhari is “not aware” of actions by the anti-corruption agencies to try the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen.
” The President has no hand in the so called impending trial of the CJN, said a senior government official on Saturday.
” It is false and reprehensible, President Buhari respects the judiciary and will not support anything that takes away from this, he said speaking under the condition of anonymity.
Multiple sources close to the president revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari was livid with anger when he learnt of the action.
A credible source familiar with the matter said the president put a call through to the AGF who denied knowledge of it also. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was said to have made frantic calls to everyone who could know and they claimed not to be aware also.
A source in the Presidency confirmed that the plot may have been hatched by 5th columnists in the corridors of power who designed it to embarrass the Presidency and create misunderstanding between the judiciary and the FG.
The source explained that the only impact such an action would generate at this time is distasteful.
“Let me tell you point blank Mr. President is not aware and was shocked at the development. It is not going to fly,” said a top government official.
Another official added that whatever may be the merits of the case being put against the CJN, it is not advisable at this time. So it is not about the rightness of the planned action.”
Asked whether the plot will go forward, the source said “what is certain right now is that this came as a shock to the Presidency and does not enjoy approval of any kind. You can figure out the rest.”
According to several reports in the media on Saturday, the Federal Government will on Monday January 14, 2019 arraigned the CJN before the Justice Danladi Yakubu led- Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in Abuja on charges of failures to declare his assets as required by law and for operating Bank Domiciliary Foreign Currency Accounts.
