The Presidency, as at Friday night, was yet to confirm the receipt or otherwise of the resignation letter of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, despite widespread media reports that the man had resigned with immediate effect.
Speaking to Channels Television from Jordan where he accompanied President Muhammadu Buhari to participate in the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said he could not state categorically if the president was aware of the development.
“Is the President aware, I can’t say yet,” Adesina said.
Adesina noted that his boss, like most of his compatriots, read about the development online, stressing that there had been no confirmation either from the National Judicial Council, NJC, or other relevant bodies.
The Presidential spokesman also told the television station, via Skype, that the president, in similar fashion, read a report by Justice Onnoghen’s lawyer confirming that Onnoghen had turned in his resignation.
Although Adesina informed the station that he met the president Friday morning, “the CJN’s resignation was not a point of discussion.”
The President’s media aide noted that he met with his principal earlier today but Onnoghen’s resignation did not come up as a topic for discussion.
“I met with the president earlier today but it was to discuss his presentation at the World Economic Forum here tomorrow,” the Special Adviser said. “We didn’t talk about either the resignation or not of the CJN”
Speaking on whether the president got the recommendation from the NJC, Adesina said that though the newspapers had the report that the recommendations had been sent, the Attorney General of the Federation would be in the best place to give a confirmation.
“It is a judicial matter,” Adesina said, “and the Attorney General is the legal officer of the country, he will be privy to it.”
Pressed further to confirm or deny the presidency’s knowledge of the CJN’s resignation, Adesina said: “A spokesman speaks after he has been briefed.”