The Supreme Court, on Thursday, fixed May 17 to deliver judgment in a suit the Cross River State Government filed to challenge the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
A seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, adjourned to determine the legal propriety of the action President Buhari took against Onnoghen on January 25th.
The President had on the basis of an ex-parte order that was issued by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, in Abuja, ordered Onnoghen who is facing corruption charge, to step aside, even as he swore in the next most senior jurist on the Supreme Court bench, Justice Tanko Muhammad, to take over as the Acting CJN.
However, dissatisfied with the action, Cross River State, invoked section 22 of the Supreme Court Act, which conferred the apex court with original jurisdiction to sit as a court of first instance, on disputes between any State of the Federation and the Federal Government.
Onnoghen had since pleaded not guilty to the allegations, even as he was released on bail on self recognizance. His trial is expected to resume before the CCT on March 11th,”*:? [J�
