Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has stated that the planned arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is meant to anoint another CJN who would help legitimize President Muhammadu Buhari’s second tenure at the Supreme Court.
Frank, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, condemned the haste and the illegality apparent in the move by Buhari and APC to get Onnoghen replaced at all costs before the February presidential elections which he said they have concluded plans to rig in favour of Buhari and the APC.
He called on the international community to note the desperation of Buhari and the APC, especially their plan to rig and use the judiciary to legitimize their illegal return to office.
According to him, the plot to illegally remove Onnoghen to pave way for a favourable judicial verdict for Buhari and APC after rigging the 2019 elections would definitely be resisted by the generality of Nigerians who would not fold their hands and watch such open electoral robbery being planned by Buhari and his evil band.
Frank said: “Nigerians are not surprised at the desperation and haste by Buhari and the APC to illegally get Justice Onnoghen out of the Supreme Court and install a pliant CJN before the presidential elections in February.
“Knowing that Nigerians have rejected them and their inept, clueless, lifeless and incompetent administration, they are now in a panic mode.
“But what they don’t know is that Nigerians are ready for them as they have resolved not to be fooled anymore. They will definitely be voted out but they are preparing ground for a spontaneous and massive crisis that will engulf the entire country should they rig the elections.
“They want to bring in a new CJN that will not only be of Northern Origin but that would do their evil bidding after rigging the elections but I want to warn them not to take Nigerians for granted.”
He further stated that the move to illegally remove Onnoghen is a further demonstration of the tribalistic and nepotistic nature of the President who has ensured that 99.9 per cent of his appointments into public offices since 2015 are people who are either closely related to him and of Northwest or Northern origin.
He said: “We saw him when he relegated South-South candidate and former acting Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Matthew Seiyefa and appointed a retired kinsman to head the organization.
“He did this despite the fact that Seiyefa was not only the most senior officer at the DSS after the former DG of DSS, Lawal Daura was sacked, but the most experienced and capable person for the job.
“They know that the laws of the land do not permit the trial of a serving judge or justice without first subjecting any allegations against such a judicial officer for review by the National Judicial Council (NJC), yet they are in a hurry to illegally kick Onnoghen out because they are afraid that he would not lend the authority of the Supreme Court to validate their stay in office having planned to rig the elections.
“They are not also comfortable having a southerner occupying the position of CJN which is critical to validate their rigging plans. All they want is Buhari’s brother or a CJN from the Northwest that would do their bidding.
“Recall that it took a national outcry before Buhari agreed to confirm Onnoghen’s appointment. They did not want him then. They don’t want him now, simply because he is from the South-South.”
The political activist informed Nigerians that having emasculated and subjugated the legislature under Senate President Bukola Saraki, Buhari and APC’s present game plan was to take over the judiciary.
“This is why all reasonable and well meaning Nigerians and the nation’s allies in the international community must speak out to avert this plot to throw the country in confusion and crisis by Buhari and the APC,” he stated.
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