The National Judicial Council (NJC) has summoned an emergency meeting over the suspension of Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN). The meeting will be held in Abuja by 10am on Monday, January 28th.
According to sources in the NJC, neither the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Ibrahim Muhammad nor the suspended CJN Justice Walter Onnoghen, will be allowed to preside over the meeting.
The NJC is an organ of the judiciary that is responsible for the Appointment, Promotion and Discipline of Judicial Officers. It was in 2016, responsible for the nomination of Justice Onnoghen to President Buhari to be confirmed as the 17th CJN. President Buhari had on Friday, suspended Onnoghen and swore in the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Tanko Muhammad, as the Acting CJN. He based the decision on corruption allegations pending against Onnoghen. The action had elicited varied reactions both within and outside the country, coming too close to a general election that will kick-start next month.
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