Reports just reaching THE WHISTLER on Friday have it that President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
President Buhari based his action on an order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) directing him to suspend Justice Onnoghen as CJN.
The development is coming few hours after Onnoghen announced that he would be swearing in members of the Election Petition Tribunals on Saturday January 26, ahead of the Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections commencing on February 16.
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‘‘The Hon CJN will be swearing in members of the 2019 National Assembly, Governorship & State Assembly Election Petition Tribunals tomorrow (Saturday 26th January 2019),’’ Onnoghen’s media aide, Awassam Bassey, had said on Friday.
Meanwhile, THE WHISTLER gathered that the President has since sworn in the CJN’s immediate junior, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi state, as the country’s new Chief Justice.
Justice Tanko Mohammed’s swearing held Friday evening inside the Council Chamber of the Aso Rock Presidential villa in Abuja immediately after President Buhari signed a new Executive Order 007.
It was gathered that the acting Chief Justice arrived at the forecourt of President Buhari’s office at about 4:30pm in a black Mercedes Benz C240 with number plate GWA:900FA.