News
Appeal Court to hear ex-CJN Onnoghen’ suit challenging his removal from office
The Court of Appeal will on Tuesday hear a suit filed by former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, challenging the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, order that removed him from office in 2019.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the suit was filed at the Court of Appeal in 2019.
Onnoghen is praying the Court to void and set aside the CCT judgment delivered against him on April 18, 2019, on various grounds.
In his appeal marked CA/ABJ/375 & 376 & 377/2019, Justice Onnoghen through his lead counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, is asking the appellate court to quash his conviction primarily on ground of want of jurisdiction, bias and and absence of fair hearing.
Onnoghen is the appellant, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the sole respondent.
A notice for hearing of the appeal just sighted by our correspondent is entitled, “CA/ABJ/375 & 376 & 377/2019 BTW: Justice Onnoghen and FRN”.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal had in 2019 convicted Onnoghen in all the 6-count charges of breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers brought against him by the federal government while in office as CJN .
In the lead judgment delivered by Chairman of the CCT, Danladi Umar, he had ordered the immediate removal of Onnoghen from office as the CJN.
The Tribunal had also stripped him of all offices earlier occupied among which were the Chairman of the National Judicial Council, NJC, and also the chairmanship of the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
The tribunal also ordered the forfeiture of his five bank accounts and the money in the accounts which Onnoghen did not declare in his asset declaration form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, an agency of the Federal Government.
Although Onnoghen had been on suspension since January 25, 2019 and had resigned on April 4, the tribunal nonetheless ordered his removal from office as the Chief Justice of Nigeria and also as the chairman of both the National Judicial Council and the Federal Judicial Service Commission.
However, dissatisfied with the CCT decision, Onnoghen in 2019 approached the Court of Appeal with 16 grounds on why his conviction by the Tribunal should be quashed.
Among others, he maintained that the Danladi Umar-led CCT panel erred in law and occasioned a miscarriage of justice against him, when it failed to decline jurisdiction to entertain the six-count against him.
He contended that the CCT Chairman ought to have recused himself from presiding over his trial.
In his seven-point reliefs, Onnoghen, applied for an order setting aside his conviction as well as quashing the order for forfeiture of his assets and to discharge and acquit him of all the charges levelled against him.
Listing some of the particulars of error in the CCT’s verdict, Onnoghen argued that he was s judicial officer at the time the charges were filed against him on Jan. 11, 2019 and as such cannot be subjected to the jurisdiction of the lower tribunal.
“0n the authority of Nganiiwa v. FRN (2018) 4 NWLR (Pt. 1609) 30: at 340. 341 only the National Judicial Council (NJC) has the power to discipline the Appellant for misconduct and not the lower tribunal.
“The lower tribunal had in the case of FRN V. Sylvester Nwali Nguta in charge No: CCT/ABJ/01/2017 delivered on 9th January, 2018, affirmed the position of the Court in FRN Nganjiwa v. FRN .
The court further dismissed the charges acquitted and discharged Justice Ngwuta being a Judicial Officer subject only to the discipline of the National Judicial C0uncil.
“The lower tribunal has no iurisdittion over servng judicial officers such as the appellant, save the National Judicial Council.
“The Motion on Notice dated Jan. 14, 2019, challenging the jurisdiction ought to be granted in all material particular as it purports to save the lower tribunal of needless futile exercise.
“The lower tribunal erred In law when it dismissed the Appellant’s Application seeking the chairman to recuse himself from further proceedings on the ground of real likelihood of bias and thus occasioned a miscarriage of justice.
“The Appellant has alleged that the chairman of the lower tribunal is biased towards him as a result of open remarks in the tribunal as well as the manner in which the proceedings was being conducted.”
Contrary to the CCT finding, Onnoghen, said he did not admit the fact of non-declaration of Assets from 2005 as the Justice of the Supreme Court, adding that he only stated that he did not declare in 2009 as required because he forgot.
Onnoghen challenged the order for the confiscation of his assets on the grounds that the assets were legitimately acquired, as against the provisions of paragraph three of the section 23 of the CCB Act which only permits the seizure of such assets “if they were acquired by fraud.”
He faulted the failure of the prosecution to present the petitioner, Denis Aghanya, before the tribunal whose petition led to the charges against him.
Onnoghen maintained that all the allegations brought against him “constitute no offence and should therefore not have formed the basis for his conviction”.
The former CJN asked the Court of Appeal to issue some orders against the CCT judgment among which are that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the case and that its Chairman ought to have recused itself from the proceedings.
Onnoghen therefore applied for an order setting aside his conviction and another one setting aside the order for forfeiture of his assets made by the Tribunal as well as to discharge and acquit him from the charges.(NAN)
The National Youth Vanguard of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected allegations made by Honourable Aminu Sani Jaji, who accused the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammed Matawalle, of orchestrating claims of anti-party activities against him.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr Adeniyi Wale, described Jaji’s accusations as “baseless” and an attempt to distract from his own political manoeuvres.
“Jaji has long positioned himself as a loyal APC member and a unifying force within the party, but his actions suggest otherwise. His political moves appear more self-serving than focused on party unity,” Wale said.
The APC Vanguard emphasised that Nigerians deserve transparent and accountable leaders rather than those who, it said, manipulate public trust for personal gain. The group also questioned Jaji’s credibility, citing what it described as a pattern of inconsistency in his political engagements.
“The remarks made by Jaji not only lack substantiation but also raise concerns about his reliability and judgment,” the statement read. “Leadership is not merely about holding a position of power; it is about demonstrating qualities that inspire trust and confidence among the people.”
The group commended Minister Matawalle for his efforts in strengthening national security and promoting peace. It said his leadership had contributed significantly to fostering unity and improving community relations across the country.
“Minister Matawalle exemplifies the qualities of effective leadership. Under his stewardship, significant progress has been made in enhancing national security and community relations,” the statement said.
The APC Vanguard further criticised Jaji’s leadership approach, accusing him of lacking the foresight and responsibility required for credible governance.
“This pattern of inconsistency not only weakens the integrity of his decisions but also erodes the confidence of party members and stakeholders who seek dependable representation,” Wale added.
The group reaffirmed its support for Matawalle and urged APC members to remain focused on unity and national progress while rejecting divisive rhetoric that could undermine the party’s strength.
News
Two brothers Launch Sardaunan Ikulu Fans Foundation, Sponsor WAEC Registration For 50 vulnerable Students
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
In a significant effort to promote education, two brothers have launched the Sardaunan Ikulu Fans Foundation, sponsoring the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) registration for 50 vulnerable students in Kamaru Ikulu Ward, Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, Yusuf Ismail Ashafa, popularly known as Sardaunan Ikulu, urged the beneficiaries to remain dedicated to their studies and strive for academic excellence. He assured them that the foundation would continue to support outstanding students by facilitating their admission into higher institutions.
Ashafa also called on parents to play an active role in motivating their children to focus on education, emphasizing that their success would contribute to a brighter future for the community.
Meanwhile, Ashafa, who played a crucial role in the emergence of Engr. Bege Gaiya Joseph as the Executive Chairman of Zango-Kataf Local Government Area, expressed deep appreciation for Joseph and his brother, Reuben Richman Bissla, for sponsoring the students’ WAEC registration in his honor.
He pledged to build on these efforts, ensuring continued support for students’ education as a means of fostering societal development.
In his remarks, the co-sponsor, Engr. Joseph Bege Gaiya, popularly known as Lordbeckson, disclosed that the initiative was aimed at improving the education of the most vulnerable students for the betterment of society.
“I am one of the beneficiaries of the goodwill of Sardaunan Ikulu. If he had wanted to become the Council Chairman, he would have been, but he decided to push me forward, and today I am the Council Chairman through his mentorship,” he stated.
He urged the beneficiaries to consider themselves fortunate and to take full advantage of the opportunity by studying hard to achieve excellent results.
“With the establishment of the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, we must ensure that our students pursue science courses. We cannot afford to have a Federal University in our region and yet have our children unable to gain admission to study science-related fields,” he added.
The initiative has been widely commended as a timely intervention, helping underprivileged students overcome financial barriers to education.
Amid the recall process initiated against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Arewa Youths Progressives Assembly has told both the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the police that Nigerians are keenly watching their actions.
This came amid viral video of some politicians in the Kogi State mass-signing signatures purported to be that of the Senator’s constituents.
It was gathered that the Senator has already petitioned the police over the development.
However, addressing journalists on Tuesday, the National President of Arewa Youths Progressives Assembly, Shuaibu Usman, accused the INEC of always compromising the electoral process in Kogi State.
Usman, who recalled how results of the last governorship election in the state emerged even before the exercise commenced, urged the commission to redeem itself.
He said, “Kogi parades as a worst example when it comes to INEC conduct of election in Nigeria. We have not forgotten how many credible organisations, including Yiaga Africa, raised the alarm of the electoral heist that went on during the last guber election in that state.
“So, INEC has been notorious for providing a thriving ground for politicians in Kogi State to mess up the country’s electoral system.
“The same people are at it again, this time hiding under the guise of a recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. With their Kogi magic, they quickly manufactured over 250,000 signatures, whereas the entire voters during the main election stood at 120,000.
“One need not be a suitsayer to know that these are the same elements who are known to be chronic election riggers, with INEC as their enablers.
“However, we must caution the INEC that this should not be business as usual; this is beyond Kogi State, so Nigerians are watching.
“We were taken aback when the INEC after announcing that the petition did not meet its requirements, returned a day after to tell Nigerians that the same petitioners have met the requirements- what a quick fix!
“The INEC must not kowtow to the whims and caprices of desperate political elements in Kogi State, as this will be resisted by Nigerians.”
Similarly, the apex Igbo group also urged the police to ensure that all those in forging the signatures of Senator Natasha’s constituents were brought to book.
According to the group, the viral videos showed known faces in Kogi State, wondering why the police were yet to effect any arrest.
“By now, we had expected that some of the perpetrators should be cooling their heels in custody or having their days in court, but it is yet to happen.
“There should be no room for compromise, the culprits, no matter how highly placed, should be identified, arrested and prosecuted.
“We urge that the police should engage forensic experts to analyze those signatures before the INEC takes any further step in the said petition,” Usman further stated.