Cupp alleges government plans to arrest CJN on Tuesday and replace him with Bauchi-born Justice Tanko Mohammed

NIGERIA'S Coalition of United Political Parties (Cupp) has alleged that the government is secretly planning to arrest the chief justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen on Tuesday and replace him with Bauchi State-born Justice Tanko Mohammed.

Over the last week, Justice Onnoghen has been involved in intense political jockeying with the government that involved him being charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Late last week, Justice Onnoghen was reportedly suspended from office over claims that he falsely declared his assets.

He was subsequently asked to appear before the CCT on Monday but shunned the invitation, prompting the government to postpone his arraignment until next week Tuesday when he will face a six-count charge before a three man panel. Later that same Monday, an Abuja high court granted an injunction preventing the authorities from continuing with the prosecution until several substantive suits were heard.

About 150 Senior Advocates of Nigeria have agreed to appear on behalf of Justice Onnoghen, claiming that the attend to prosecute him is an attack on the independence of the judiciary. Justice Onnoghen is accused of not properly declaring his assets but political opponents have claimed the charges are trumped up by the government to get him replaced with elections looming next month.

Claiming there was more to the plot, the Cupp said plans to arrest Justice Onnoghen were agreed at a meeting attended by three senior members of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and a serving state governor. Cupp spokesman Ugo Chinyere, said they want the world to know that Nigeria’s democracy is facing a clear and present danger.

Mr Chinyere said: “The cabal of the presidency has just concluded a meeting last night where they have now set the stage to burn down the institution of democracy and constitutional governance for the purpose of achieving a narrow aim of annexing the judiciary. Just a few hours after our release of the secret letter directing the freezing of the account of the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) illegally without a court order, these men have at the end of their meeting last night directed the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar to disregard the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja which has directed the tribunal to maintain the status quo and go-ahead to issue a bench warrant on the next adjourned date being Tuesday January 22 in the event the CJN does not appear in court.

“The meeting of the presidency cabal also resolved and directed the new acting inspector-general of police to effect the immediate arrest of the CJN on the same Tuesday. This would be his litmus test for his speedy confirmation as the substantive inspector general.

“They further resolved that another petition would now be forwarded to the National Judicial Council (NJC) and that petition has already been drafted in the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This petition will precede the other frivolous and trumped up allegations which will be submitted against Justice Mary Peter-Odili, Justice Cletus Nweze and Justice Rhodes Vivour just to scare them away and tarnish their good names.”

“The plan on Tuesday is to get Danladi Umar to issue a bench warrant against the CJN, get the acting inspector-general of police to arrest the CJN and then forcibly arraign the CJN to force him out of office hence paving the way for a well-known pro-Buhari judge, Justice Tanko Mohammed who is the deputy chairman of the NJC to take over and do all their bidding. Let it be known that unless and until the CJN is found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, he will not resign.”

According to the Cupp, Justice Mohammed's brief will include setting up appeal panels to resolve the Rivers and Zamfara All Progressives Congress (APC) crisis in favour of the party and the other States where they fear they will lose elections including Akwa Ibom, Delta, Lagos, Benue, Imo, Kwara, Plateau, Kaduna, Abia and Sokoto states and also constitute a pro Buhari post-presidential election tribunal.