From Segun Amure, (The New Diplomat’s Abuja Bureau)
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen on Friday reportedly opened up on why he was removed from office by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Onnoghen who spoke in Abuja on Friday, at the public presentation of a book titled: “Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009: Practice, procedure, forms and precedents,” authored by Ogwu James Onoja (SAN) claimed that he was removed from office by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, after Buhari’s government had accused him of fraud in the build up to the 2019 presidential election.
Onnoghen said his removal stemmed from rumours that he held a meeting with Buhari’s main challenger in the election and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Dubai before the poll.
Onnoghen expressed disappointment that President Buhari failed to verify the rumour before descending the hammer on him, instigating the CCT to remove him from office.
He added that the rumour was brought to his attention before his removal but, he chose not to address it because he never met with Atiku in Dubai and has never encountered the ex-Vice President in person all his life.
The former CJN lamented that his trial before the CCT was put in motion even when he had not been invited or accused of any wrongdoing.
He said in the course of the trial, and when parties had joined issues, an ex-parte application was suddenly brought in, and “what followed was my illegal and unlawful suspension as the CJN.”
