A former President of Aka Ikenga and a lawyer, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has thrown Nigeria into a major constitutional crisis by suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Uwazurike recalled that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as governor of Rivers state shut down the judicial arm in the state.
In a statement, yesterday in reaction to the action taken by President Buhari, Uwazurike said what happened in Aso Rock is nothing short of creating judicial anarchy.
DAILY POST reported that yesterday that President Buhari, acting on an order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, suspended the CJN.
The President immediately swore in Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi state as the Acting CJN.
Uwazurike added, “President Muhamadu Buhari, in suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, has thrown Nigeria into a constitutional crisis.
“President Buhari placed his hand the Holy Koran and swore to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That was on May 29, 2015.
“Since then, he spent three years seeking to sack the President of the Senate. He is using this last year to sack the Chief justice of Nigeria. This is nothing but throwing the country into a crisis.
“What happened today in Aso Rock is nothing short of creating a judicial anarchy.
“Rotimi Amaechi, as governor of Rivers state caused such a disaster for the judicial arm in the state.
“Today, President Muhamadu Buhari, who as a military dictator, removed the then Chief Justice, Sowemimo, has embarrassed the third arm of the government.
“Remember that under our constitution, the method by which the heads of the third arm emerge is clearly stated. Ditto the way their stay can be tampered with. Any other method is clearly unconstitutional.
“The Chief Justice of Nigeria can only emerge and be removed in accordance with the Constitution. Now, who will preside over the judicial arm on Monday?
“Do not forget that the president relied on a non- existing order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal. Besides, there are about 4 orders of different courts directing that nothing be done to tamper with the post of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The executive is part of the court cases.
“Save our judiciary. The executive has said that it will not obey all court orders. Now we can understand the objective of the orchestrated media trial of the Chief Justice. This is climax of the campaign.
“Are we still practising democracy?”
