Onnoghen: Court Of Appeal Dismisses Suit Challenging Order To Vacate Office - Liberty TV/Radio - News - Voice For All! Vision For Alll!
Publisher (J.T)
May 10, 2019
TheAbuja Division of the Court of Appeal on Friday struck out four appeals filedby ex-Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, in relation to histrial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Thethree-man bench led by Justice Stephen Adah, in the four unanimous judgments,held that three of the appeals had become academic since the trial had beenconcluded by the CCT.
Oneof the appeal was ruled to be incompetent.
Butdelivering judgment on the appeal challenging the January 23, 2019 ex parteorder made by the CCT for the suspension of the ex-CJN, Justice Adah, who readthe lead judgment, held that the order was issued in breach of the appellant’sright to fair hearing.
PresidentBuhari had acted on the order to suspend Onnoghen and had sworn in JusticeTanko Muhammad as the acting CJN on January 26.
JusticeAdah noted that the order was not only made when the defendant had yet to bearraigned before the CCT, it was obtained in a manner “shrouded in secrecy andclandestine maneuver.