The Elder statesman and leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has accused former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, of oppressing and humiliating former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Clark alleged that Buhari removed Onnoghen to carry out “electoral mischief” during the 2019 presidential election.
In a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Clark commended the Court of Appeal’s judgment acquitting Onnoghen of all charges of false declaration of assets. He faulted the suspension of Onnoghen by Buhari, citing constitutional provisions that place the power to appoint and suspend a CJN in the hands of the President, the National Judicial Council, and the National Assembly.
Clark also urged President Tinubu not to allow “sacred cows” to exist in his government, emphasizing that the constitution does not provide immunity for life for former presidents. He criticized the silence of the Nigerian Bar Association and the National Judicial Council during Onnoghen’s ousting, while praising the Court of Appeal’s judgment.
In response, an official from the previous administration defended Buhari’s decision to suspend Onnoghen, citing the non-declaration of assets as an offense against the laws of the land.
However, Clark’s allegations have sparked controversy, with many questioning the motivations behind Onnoghen’s removal.
