CCT Chair, Umar reveals why he Ordered the Suspension of Onnoghen

Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi has given the reasons he ordered for the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Umar was responding to the query issued him by the Federal Judicial Service Commission, FJSC after a petition was written against him.

According to him, Onnoghen’s suspension was in line with the inherent powers and jurisdiction of the tribunal.

He said only the Appeal Court could “determine whether or not the order was rightly or wrongly granted.”

Umar also said “it is left to the appellate court to determine whether or not the order was rightly or wrongly granted.”

The petitioner, Grace Wogor, who is a lawyer had alleged that the CCT boss acted beyond his legal authority in granting an order for the suspension of the CJN.

“The petitioner had alleged that I granted an ex parte order directing the President to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is a defendant in a charge filed against him at the tribunal,” he said.

“It is important to state that I acted within the inherent powers and jurisdiction of the Tribunal and that whether or not the order was rightly or wrongly granted is now a matter to be determined by the Court of Appeal, since the defendant appealed against the ex parte order.”

Umar said the tribunal did not comply with orders by the high court in Abuja and the national industrial court (NIC) to stop Onnoghen’s trial because they are courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

He also stated that himself as chairman, and other members of the CCT cannot be disciplined by neither of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC)”.

He noted that his tribunal was only answerable to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court who have supervisory powers over it.