The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to end the “unjust persecution of the Chief justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen”.
The body also accused both the hierarchies of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and Court of Appeal as well as the acting CJN, Tanko Mohammed, of conspiracy to wrest the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria from Southern Nigeria to serve the ulterior motives of the Islamic segment of Northern Nigeria.
HURIWA, in a statement on Monday by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, said it was no longer secret that the ordeal of suspended CJN was a plot to oust him from office without due process of laws by President Buhari and those afraid that Justice Onnoghen may as CJN not sanction their electoral heist.
It read in part: “What is not known in the public domain is the Bauchi state connection in the entire wicked plan. The president court of appeal is from Bauchi state while the chairman code of conduct tribunal is another Bauchi person.
“The major beneficiary from the coup, apart from President Muhammadu Buhari, if CJN onnoghen is ousted unceremoniously is the acting CJN, who is another Bauchi person.
“The plot is to use blackmail and propaganda to oust the CJN from office after the kangaroo arraignment and midnight exparte order by Danladi Umar and where it fails, to hastily convict CJN Onnoghen at all cost in the code of conduct tribunal manned by Bauchi state Danladi Umar.
“A contingency second Part of the plot was made using the auspices of office of the president court of appeal, who is from Bauchi state and whose husband is APC senator-elect, to block CJN Onnoghen from getting any judicial succor from the court of appeal.
“However, an unforeseen snag in the entire script is the weakness of the case against CJN onnoghen and his refusal to throw in the towel through resignation despite intense propaganda materials unleashed through government machinery; but the commitment of the heavily compromised chairman, Danladi Umar, to the odious agenda is to the extent that he can do any thing humanly possible to help his home boy to become the substantive CJN.
“The speed of trial of CJN Onnoghen has broken all known judicial or quasi judicial records because chairman Danladi Umar is determined to convict him in three weeks time before the tenure of office of the acting CJN expires.
“Note that the constitution forbids any person whose tenure expires while in acting capacity from being appointed into substantive position. In this case, since the CJN is on suspension, a substantive CJN cannot be appointed except if CJN onnoghen is convicted at the code of conduct tribunal and finally removed by Mr President.”