Onnoghen Opens Up: Buhari Fired Me Because of Atiku

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, Friday, in Abuja, reacted for the first time to his infamous removal from office by President Mohammadu Buhari in 2019.

Onnoghen opened up at the unveiling of a book titled ‘Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, Practice, Procedure, Forms and Precedents’, authored by Chief Ogwu James Onoja (SAN), saying he was acused of hobnobing with former Vice President Atiku Aabubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 election, and was never given a chance to defend himself.

He said before his removal, there had been unfounded rumours from the executive arm of government that he held a meeting with the former Vice President in the United Arab Emirates capital, Dubai, prior to the 2019 general elections.

Onnoghen stressed that he didn’t react even when the rumour was thick and spreading fast, because he never travelled to Dubai to meet with anyone, not even Atiku.

He further exclaimed his surprise that despite the Federal Government’s machinery to investigate the allegation, it didn’t, rather it decided to remove him from office.

Onnoghen said that the situation got to the peak when all of a sudden, his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal was arranged, even when he had not been invited or accused of any wrongdoing.

According to him, the government’s action against him further got to the peak when in the course of the trial and when parties had joined issues, an ex-parte application was suddenly brought in, and what followed was his illegal and unlawful suspension as the CJN.

He said it left him shocked as he didn’t see it coming.

He said: “Prior to my suspension, I was confronted with no allegation. There were rumours that I met with Atiku in Dubai. As I am talking here today, I have never met Atiku one on one in my life.

“As if that was not enough, I was also accused of setting free high-profile criminals, whereas I ceased to be a High Court Judge as far back as 1978.

“In Supreme Court, I did not sit alone. We sat in panel. In all these rumours and outright accusations, I was not given the opportunity to defend myself.

“Let me make it clear that the office of the CJN was not for Onnoghen but for all Nigerians who had sworn to guide and protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“To say the least, the period of my ordeal was the darkest era in the history of the Nigerian judiciary.”

Onnoghen however charged judicial officials not to feel let down by what happened to him.

“Emerging Nigerian judges should not go the direction of injustice because, without courageous judges and justice, Nigeria is doomed.

“Here, let me sound this note of warning that the appointment of judicial officers must never be allowed to be politicized, otherwise, democracy and democratic governance will be dead.

“During my tenure, the problem of Nigeria was not the Nigerian judiciary, but those who had no regard for the rule of law. We must therefore be committed to the rule of law and dispense justice without fear or favour.”