Onnoghen: 25 lawyers discontinue suit against Buhari, Ag CJN

Twenty-five lawyers have approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, asking it to terminate further hearing on suit challenging what they termed as illegal suspension of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The plaintiffs, led by human rights activist, Johnmary Jideobi, said they decided to discontinue the suit after they got information that Justice Onnoghen had succumbed to pressure and voluntarily tendered a resignation letter to the 1st defendant, President Buhari. 

They told the court that pursuing the legal action to its logical conclusion would amount to “crying more than the bereaved,” notwithstanding the fact that the matter was earlier fixed to be heard on May 23.
Meanwhile, a University teacher and farmer in Edo State, Isaiah Osifo, has raised two posers for the Nigeria Judiciary Council, NJC, over its recommendation of compulsory retirement for Justice Onnoghen, who was forced to give up his job, recently. 

Osifo said: “It is meaningless for the sycophants of President Buhari to celebrate or justify the resignation of Justice Onnoghen without concern for the dangerous consequences of a bad precedent in a country without respect for the rule of law. 

“Can NJC and Nigerians tolerate situations where elected President can sack the head of the judicial arm of government without recourse to the rules and constitutional provision? Can NJC and Nigerians tolerate situations where elected state governor can sack the chief judge of a state without recourse to the laws and the constitution of Nigeria?
“The resignation/retirement of Justice Onnoghen should make less news compared to the dangers that are inherent in a society without the rule of law. Double standard and its application in any judicial system erode the confidence of the people in the judiciary and place the nation in the category of a dangerous and unpredictable country. 

“If NJC cannot rescue the judiciary, who else can? Democratic and civilised nations always avoid subordinating law to satisfy any individual or a group,” he asserted.