₦airaland Forum

The orchestrated personal attacks, innuendoes, accusations and allegations being leveled against President Muhammadu Buhari by some interest groups including some senior lawyers over his alleged delay in the nomination of Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria is totally and entirely misplaced and wrong.

The opportunistic and self-serving campaign by some senior lawyers and groups is regrettable and unacceptable.

I make bold to say that President Muhammadu Buhari has not violated any provision of the Constitution as far as the issue of the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria is concerned.

It is settled that Justice Ayo Salami was removed from office as President of the Court of Appeal on the 11th August 2011; late Justice Dalhatu Adamu was appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by then President Goodluck Jonathan in August 2011. He held the office of President of the Court of Appeal in an acting capacity for 15 over months.

After 15 months as Acting President of the Court of Appeal the name of late Justice Dalhatu was not eventually recommended and to President Jonathan for nomination as the substantive President Court of Appeal by the National Judicial Council; rather the name of Justice Zainab Bulkachawa was recommended by the National Judicial Council and sent by the then President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate on March 19, 2014, for confirmation.

Before then, Justice Zainab Bulkachawa was appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by President Jonathan and was in office for almost one year before her name was sent to the Senate for confirmation as President of the Court of Appeal.

It follows that the Court of Appeal had an Acting President from August 2011 to March 2014; where were these senior lawyers who are now giving the impression that there had never any precedence over the appointment of an acting appointment concerning senior judicial appointments in the country then?

Some of the senior lawyers who are vociferous in the condemnation of President Muhammadu Buhari now were then members of the National Judicial Council, but they buried their heads in the ground like the ostrich!

It is misleading for these senior lawyers to create the impression that there has never been any precedence concerning the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

One time Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi was appointed Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria in January 2007 by then President, Olusegun Obasanjo before he was eventually nominated and confirmed by the Senate!

Where were these senior lawyers who are unethically and unreasonably trying to politicize the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria?

On September 9th 2009, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (as he then was) sworn into office Honourable Justice Dantshoho Abutu (as he then was) as the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court after the retirement of then Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Mustapha Abdullahi (as he then was) on the 4th September, 2009.

The appointment of Honourable Justice Dantshoho Abutu (as then was) as Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court was okayed by the then late President Umaru Musa Yaradua.

Are these senior lawyers now trying to lie to us suffering from amnesia? Or are they simply mischievous?

In so many States of the Federation, we had had these Acting appointments of Chief Judges of these States. Presently in Enugu State, the Chief Judge is in acting capacity!

Gladly Honourable Justice Onnoghen has wisely and maturely issued a statement disassociating himself from these unwarranted and needless campaign and attacks on the person of President Buhari by these self-seeking and opportunistic meddlesome interlopers.

One would have expected these senior lawyers to meet and discuss with the learned Honourable Attorney General of the Federation or even the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the matter (who is also a senior lawyer and much-respected voice in the country legal circles) but they are unfortunately and busy grandstanding and trying to further desecrate the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria by politicising it!

Your attempt at a warped comparison failed woefully...Jonathan and Buhari are poles apart when it comes to issues of pettiness in political appointments, staffing of government position and nepotism on related matters. People were not worried with Jonathan because there wasn't much reason for that. Buhari antecedent on this level speaks for itself. . . They may not forward that mans name and before our very eyes, they will forward the name of one of their tribal goons and as usual, a platoon of 'yes-men' will be here waiting to unload on anybody that will point out the ethnic background to the charade going on, instead of condemning a seriously flawed presidency that is determined to flood officialdom with ethnic henchmen... They have already started talking about some "DSS dossier" on him.., this to me is an attempt to prepare the ground for the evil acts that will happen within the next few days... Honestly, Buhari is unbelievable. It is mind boggling.. We have seen tribalism in this country.. We have seen nepotism.., we have seen sectionalism.. But never in the history of this country have we seen a situation where a president goes out of his way to openly take/make notoriously divisive actions/appointments without caring about the net effects of such deeds on the political future of the country.... If people don't start now to challenge these men, if this goes on for another 2 or 6 years, we may find ourselves in a very awkward situation where it will start to look like a second round of colonialism, this time by "fellow Africans" is a possibility...

God or anything you people worship will, one day, certainly destroy all you people supporting evil and the destruction of our ideals and institutions. A man was recommended by NJC for the post of CJN, instead of his name to be forwarded to the senate for confirmation according to the law, he was appointed Ag. CJ.

It is clear in our laws whenever a recommendation is made by NJC, in this instance for appointment as CJN, it is only the NJC that can withdraw such recommendation and the procedures are stated clearly. The presidency is acting funny and you guys are hailing them on forgetting that power would get to another region some day. Besides, the Judiciary is a separate Arm of Government and not supposed be controlled by another Arm.

God will judge you guys soonest

gbollybakare:
The orchestrated personal attacks, innuendoes, accusations and allegations being leveled against President Muhammadu Buhari by some interest groups including some senior lawyers over his alleged delay in the nomination of Justice Walter Samuel Onnoghen as the Chief Justice of Nigeria is totally and entirely misplaced and wrong.

The opportunistic and self-serving campaign by some senior lawyers and groups is regrettable and unacceptable.

I make bold to say that President Muhammadu Buhari has not violated any provision of the Constitution as far as the issue of the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria is concerned.

It is settled that Justice Ayo Salami was removed from office as President of the Court of Appeal on the 11th August 2011; late Justice Dalhatu Adamu was appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by then President Goodluck Jonathan in August 2011. He held the office of President of the Court of Appeal in an acting capacity for 15 over months.

After 15 months as Acting President of the Court of Appeal the name of late Justice Dalhatu was not eventually recommended and to President Jonathan for nomination as the substantive President Court of Appeal by the National Judicial Council; rather the name of Justice Zainab Bulkachawa was recommended by the National Judicial Council and sent by the then President Goodluck Jonathan to the Senate on March 19, 2014, for confirmation.

Before then, Justice Zainab Bulkachawa was appointed Acting President of the Court of Appeal by President Jonathan and was in office for almost one year before her name was sent to the Senate for confirmation as President of the Court of Appeal.

It follows that the Court of Appeal had an Acting President from August 2011 to March 2014; where were these senior lawyers who are now giving the impression that there had never any precedence over the appointment of an acting appointment concerning senior judicial appointments in the country then?

Some of the senior lawyers who are vociferous in the condemnation of President Muhammadu Buhari now were then members of the National Judicial Council, but they buried their heads in the ground like the ostrich!

It is misleading for these senior lawyers to create the impression that there has never been any precedence concerning the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

One time Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi was appointed Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria in January 2007 by then President, Olusegun Obasanjo before he was eventually nominated and confirmed by the Senate!

Where were these senior lawyers who are unethically and unreasonably trying to politicize the appointment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria?

On September 9th 2009, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi (as he then was) sworn into office Honourable Justice Dantshoho Abutu (as he then was) as the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court after the retirement of then Chief Judge, Honourable Justice Mustapha Abdullahi (as he then was) on the 4th September, 2009.

The appointment of Honourable Justice Dantshoho Abutu (as then was) as Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court was okayed by the then late President Umaru Musa Yaradua.

Are these senior lawyers now trying to lie to us suffering from amnesia? Or are they simply mischievous?

In so many States of the Federation, we had had these Acting appointments of Chief Judges of these States. Presently in Enugu State, the Chief Judge is in acting capacity!

Gladly Honourable Justice Onnoghen has wisely and maturely issued a statement disassociating himself from these unwarranted and needless campaign and attacks on the person of President Buhari by these self-seeking and opportunistic meddlesome interlopers.

One would have expected these senior lawyers to meet and discuss with the learned Honourable Attorney General of the Federation or even the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the matter (who is also a senior lawyer and much-respected voice in the country legal circles) but they are unfortunately and busy grandstanding and trying to further desecrate the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria by politicising it!

How do you even breathe.

It's most disgusting to see black and call it white. We all know buhari and there's every reason for suspicion with the CJ issue.

Let's speak the truth jare.