Senate may rely on Supreme Court judgment to begin impeachment proceedings if…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Fresh angle to the change of tactics by the Nigerian Senate in the recent confusion created by President Muhammadu Buhari’s unilateral action to suspend Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
In an interview with a senior lawyer in Lagos on Tuesday, the legal luminary who pleaded anonymity said “I have a feeling that the upper house of the National Assembly who has the stronger powers to initiate impeachment proceedings on any seating president if found to have breached any provision of the Constitution may have resorted to approaching the Supreme Court to secure a ruling that will shut every mouth that will challenge it if it begins impeachment process after getting a salutary judgment”.
He argued that “With the level of divisions across ethnic, religious, party and even level of education lines amongst Nigerians, if the Senate hurriedly embarks on impeachment proceedings this Tuesday it had earlier planned to reconvene, there may be crisis considering the nature of the Senate or even the entire National Assembly leadership now the PDP is at the head of affairs.
“To me, if Supreme Court rules that the President erred in law it has sworn to protect, nobody will have any reasonable doubt to accuse the Senate of any form of witch hunting because the Supreme has said it all after all. Am saying this, if the court rules that President Buhari erred in law.
Business Hilights recalls that the Senate had contrary to reconvene Tuesday, January 29, 2019, approached the Supreme Court for interpretation of the suspension of Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).
Trouble had started when President Buhari suspended Justice Walter Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) last Friday and sworn in Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad in to take the CJN position in acting capacity.
Buhari had based Onnoghen’s suspension on a directive from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
A statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, spokesman of Senate President Bukola Saraki, read: “Following the filing of the case, the matter of the suspension of the CJN which is the main issue for which the Senate had planned to reconvene tomorrow, has become subjudiced.
“Therefore, in line with the standing rules of the Senate not to debate issues that are already pending before the court, the reconvening of the Senate tomorrow has been put off. The previous adjournment of the Senate till February 19, 2019, stays,” Senate leadership said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
