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‘Onnoghen Must Go’, ‘Due Process Must Be Followed’ — Pro And Anti-Onnoghen Protests Rock CCT

January 22, 2019

One group urged the number one law officer to follow the right path of honour by resigning from his position before being disgraced out, while the other asked the government to follow due process in the trial of CJN.

Two rival groups on Tuesday led protests at the premises of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) in relation to its trial of Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), one asking him to quit the office and the other asking for due process to be followed in the trial.

The anti-Onnoghen protesters, who came together under a civil society group ‘Our Nation First’, asked the CJN to step down. 

The group said that the sanctity of judiciary must be protected and must not be brought to a disrepute because of selfish interest.  

The placard-carrying protesters stormed the court chanting Onnoghen-Must-Go songs. 

Some the inscriptions on their placards read: ‘No One Is Above The Law’, ‘Onnoghen Must Resign Now’, ‘Free Judiciary From Corruption’ and ‘Respect The Law of Land’.

The group urged the number one law officer to follow the right path of honour by resigning from his position before being disgraced out. 

Also, pro-Onnoghen protesters who are mainly lawyers, under the aegis of Advocate for Peoples' Rights and Justice (APRJ), asked the government to follow due process in the trial of CJN. 

The group condemned the hurried handling of the matter without recourse to the procedures for the trial of a judicial officer in any court of law. 

Speaking to journalists, its coordinator, Barr. Victor Giwa stressed that the group is not opposing the trial of Onnoghen but due process must be followed. 

 He called on international community to rise up and defend the democratic process in the country.