National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has said that the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, will be reinstated if the accusations against him are proven to be false.
Mr Tinubu said this on Tuesday in a letter titled: ‘Reply to Atiku’s State of the Nation’.
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, had on Monday condemned Mr Onnoghen’s suspension.
”…Thus, your recourse to saying that the President violated the constitutional provision regarding the removal of a CJN is inaccurate in that Buhari never intended to remove the CJN.
”What he has done is to have the CJN temporarily get out of his chair so that the serious matters against him can be heard by someone other than himself.
”Should the charges show themselves to be wrong or unproven, the CJN will be automatically reinstated as the head of the Nigerian judiciary.
”Nothing has been taken from the CJN that cannot be restored if the facts warrant such restoration. Thus, President Buhari conditionally suspended the CJN.
”By doing so, this allows for the case to move forward without the CCT or others fearing the CJN might use his position to unduly interfere with proceedings.
”If the CJN is exonerated, then he will return to his position. If not exonerated, then a more permanent discipline awaits him.
”This is an imminently fair and balanced approach, especially given the fact that the constitution and other laws really do not provide clear and unambiguous guidance on how to proceed in a case whether the CJN is the defendant under this unique fact pattern,” Tinubu said.
(NAN)
