The Federal Government has filed a motion before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) asking for the removal of Walter Onnoghen, as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and as chairman of the National Judicial Council.
The motion was filed by Musa Ibrahim and Fatima Danjuma Ali on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation on Thursday, Saturday Punch reports.
The government says the move is aimed at ensuring that Mr Onnoghen is not a judge in his case and that the next in line of seniority, Ibrahim Muhammad, becomes the acting CJN pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The plaintiff asked the court to compel President Muhammadu Buhari to name the next most senior judge as the acting CJN and chairman of the NJC.
The motion on notice was brought in pursuance of Section 6(6) Paragraph 11 (1) of the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
The Federal Government prayed the tribunal for an interlocutory order “directing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to take all necessary measures to swear in the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court as an acting Chief Justice and chairman of the National Judicial Council in order to prevent a vacuum in the judicial arm of government pending the determination of the case.”
The fresh move against Onnoghen came after the National Industrial Court, Abuja, had on Monday restrained the CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar, the AGF, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the police from removing Onnoghen.
