NJC Asks Onnoghen, Muhammad to Respond to Petition within Seven Days *Refers petition against CCT Chair to FJSC *Reconvenes February 11

The National Judicial Council (NJC) on Tuesday rose from its emergency meeting in Abuja with a seven-day ultimatum to both the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and the acting CJN, Justice Tanko Muhammad to respond to various petitions against them.

The NJC had last Sunday summoned the emergency meeting to look into the suspension of Onnoghen.

President Muhammadu Buhari had  on January 25, following an alleged exparte order by the CCT suspended Onnoghen as CJN and Chairman of the NJC.
Buhari, subsequently swore in Justice Tanko Muhammad as acting CJN to pilot the affairs of the Supreme Court in the interim.

The action has in the last five days  attracted global concern as well as protest by various groups in the country. Various petitions seeking the intervention of the NJC were also made.

However, at the meeting which held on Tuesday at the NJC Secretariat in Abuja, both Onnoghen and Muhammad were not in attendance as they recused themselves from the meeting.
A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, according to a statement by NJC's Director of Information, Soji Oye, was elected to preside as Interim Chairman.

The council, according to the statement, considered four petitions in all-- one against Onnoghen, two against Muhammad and the other against the CCT Chairman, Danladi Umar.
"The National Judicial Council held an Emergency Meeting today and considered four (4) petitions filed at its Secretariat.  

The petitions are: Petition against Justice W.S.N. Onnoghen, by Zikhrillahi Ibrahim of Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civil Education;
Petition against Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, by Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative and Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, OON; and
Petition against Danladi Yakubu Umar, Chairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal by Centre for Justice and Peace Initiative," part of the statement read.

It added that while the Council referred the petition against Umar to the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC) which is the appropriate constitutional body empowered to deal with it, the Council in line with its procedures forwarded the petitions against Onnoghen and Muhammad to them for their responses.

" In view of the gravity of the matters involved, Council abridged the usual response period from fourteen (14) to seven (7) working days for the Justices to respond.

"Justice Onnoghen and Justice Muhammad, recused themselves from the meeting.  Consequently, Council elected Justice Umaru Abdullahi, former President of the Court of Appeal as Interim Chairman to preside over the meeting.

"Council will reconvene on February 11, 2019," the statement added.

The judiciary has been in the eye of the storm in the last two weeks following the federal government's attempt to arraigned Justice Onnoghen over alleged failure to disclose his assets as at when due.

The federal government had slammed a six-count charge of false asset declaration charges against the CJN.

He has been accused of failing to declare some funds in his domiciliary accounts with the Standard Chartered Bank, Wuse 2 branch, Abuja as at when due.

While Onnoghen, has challenged the jurisdiction of the tribunal to entertain the suit, the Federal High Court Abuja, the FCT High Court and the National Industrial Court in their separate rulings on exparte motion brought before them had ordered the CCT to halt the trial.
But the CCT refused to obey the orders, claiming that the tribunal was not under the supervision of the courts hence their judgment is not binding on it.

Although the CCT however submitted to the order of the Court of Appeal to stay proceedings, this was after it had issued the exparte order for the suspension of Onnoghen the previous day.

The obedience of President Buhari to the order has been the source of a major crisis both at the heart of the judiciary and polity, prompting the emergency meeting of the NJC as well as the NBA.