- Opposition Parties Raise the Alarm over Plot to Arrest Onnoghen
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) yesterday alleged that the Presidency and some top APC Chieftains are plotting to arrest the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, on Tuesday “and replace with Justice Tanko Mohammed.”
The National Spokesperson of CUPP, Ikenga Ugochinyere, at a press conference in Abuja claimed that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, “is the lead conspirator in the plot.”
Ugochinyere alleged: “Amaechi’s lawyer, whose office is located at Central Area in Abuja is among those being used to carry out the deal in which Onnoghen will be replaced with deputy Chairman of National Judicial Council, Justice Tanko Muhammed who will do the bidding of Presidency and the ruling APC.”
The CUPP spokesperson told journalists that the arrest would be carried out shortly after a bench warrant would have been issued by the Code of Conduct Tribunal against Onnoghen.
According to CUPP, Amaechi; Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami and the minister’s lawyer were at a meeting on Thursday night where all arrangements were concluded.
“The cabal of the Presidency has just concluded a meeting last night where they have now set the stage to burn down the institution of democracy and constitutional governance for the purpose of achieving a narrow aim of annexing the judiciary.”
“The meeting of the Presidency cabal also resolved and directed the new Ag. Inspector-General of Police on the immediate arrest of the CJN on the same Tuesday, as effort will be made to ensure he is served with the order same day, following the issuance of the arrest warrant, and that it would be his litmus test for his speedy confirmation as the substantive IGP.
“They further resolved that another petition would now be forwarded to the National Judicial Council and that petition has already been drafted in the Chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“This petition will precede the other frivolous and trumped up allegations which will be submitted against Justice Mary Peter-Odili, Justice Cletus Nweze and Justice Rhodes Vivour just to scare them away and tarnish their good names.
“The President is aware of this plot as the meeting rose with the resolution that Rotimi Amechi and El-Rufai would go to brief the President immediately.
“The President has weaponized his failed fight against corruption. The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal was once again reminded of his pending criminal charges and conscripted that as long as he issued the arrest warrant nobody will move against him.
“Nigerians, the said charges against the Chairman of the Tribunal has already been filed and is being handled by the Spokesman of the Buhari Campaign Organization, Mr. Festus Keyamo. This is a copy of the charge already filed.”
The CUPP also called on Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and other progressive lawyers to march to the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Tuesday to speak on behalf CJN in order avoid issuing a bench warrant against him.
