Walter Nkanu Onnoghen’s resignation as Chief Justice of Nigeria on Friday was greeted with mixed reactions from senior lawyers, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Onnoghen, who was suspended from office on January 25 by the Federal Government for failing to declare part of his assets, tendered his resignation letter to President Muhammadu Buhari late on Thursday, it was learnt.
Surprisingly, the letter was sent to Buhari barely 24 hours after the National Judicial Council reportedly recommended Onnoghen’s compulsory retirement from service after investigating the allegations of misconduct levelled against him.
Although the suspended CJN’s spokesman, Awassam Bassey, has yet to officially confirm his resignation, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria defending him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal confirmed to one of our correspondents on Friday that Onnoghen had resigned.
Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), who is Onnoghen’s lead defend counsel at the CCT, where he is being prosecuted for false and non-declaration of assets, said, “I have just spoken with him. He confirmed to me that he resigned voluntarily yesterday (Thursday). He told me he resigned in the interest of the judiciary.”
According to Awomolo, Onnoghen must have taken the decision following the recommendations of the NJC, which have yet to be made public.
“He took a decision after the NJC which has the power under the Constitution to take a decision, has taken a decision.”
Rafiu Lawal-Rabana (SAN), who led Onnoghen’s defence at the NJC, said although he had yet to speak with his client, he had confirmed that he had voluntarily resigned from office.
However, a Lagos lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, described Onnoghen’s resignation as “appearing to be an after thought and escapism”.
The Federal Government on January 11, 2019 filed against Onnoghen six counts, including failure to declare his assets between June 2005 and December 14, 2016.
The rest of the five counts bordered on the allegations that the suspended CJN made false declaration of his assets on December 14, 2016 by allegedly omitting to declare his domiciliary dollar, euro and pound sterling accounts as well as his two naira accounts, all maintained with Standard Chatered Bank (Nig.) Ltd.
Onnoghen had pleaded not guilty to the six counts.
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba SAN, said that Onnoghen could have decided to call it quits in the interest of the judiciary.
He said, “Without judging whether the CJN was right or wrong, because I cannot speak on that, I think it has come to a point where he would have decided that in the interest of the judiciary as an institution, it was better that he removed himself.
“I see the resignation as a no-liability resignation, which means without accepting that he had done wrong. I haven’t read the (resignation) letter but that is my thought. The issue had become messy and so a time would come you would say to yourself that if I’m the problem in the way of the judiciary, I would step down and deal with the issues I’m facing as a person, so as not to allow this to disrupt the judiciary. If that is what he has done, I applaud and salute him.”
Agbakoba said even though some people would suggest that he should have resigned earlier. “People who say he could have done that earlier could have a point, but it is never too late. The important thing is that he has done it. I think I would have done it earlier. But he may have decided to ride it out but he has now seen that he could not resist the forces against him, because clearly, as far as I’m concerned, even if he has done something wrong, the entire process has been politically motivated, without question. That cannot be denied. So, I applaud and salute him for taking himself out of the process.”
Mike Ozekhome (SAN) said, “Onnoghen was virtually hounded out of the judiciary and of the seat of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, not because of any offence that has been proved but, I genuinely believe, because of one, where he comes from, his ethnic group; two, his religion; three, the fact that he was too unbending to accommodate the excesses of the executive arm of government; and four, because he was not even considered to have been fit to occupy the position in the first instance. That was why the President never agreed to confirm his appointment many months after the Senate had okayed him until the President travelled and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had to do the unthinkable. And I also think that the cabal never forgave Osinbajo for that.”
But the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), described Onnoghen’s resignation as “embarrassing and shameful”, saying he ought to have left as soon as the allegations were raised against him.
Sagay said, “It’s disappointing because he should have done this thing (resign) since January when the news came out that he failed to declare some of his assets. He should have done it instead of going to court and embarrassing himself and the whole country.”
However, another SAN, Dr Babatunde Ajibade, said it would be premature to comment on Onnoghen’s resignation without knowing what the NJC recommended after probing the corruption allegations against him.
The PDP claimed Onnoghen decided to resign because the FG was frustrating him.
The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, also said the development had created bad image for Nigeria. “It is a pity that the FG has frustrated Justice Onnoghen out of office therefore achieving a premeditated plan against the topmost hierarchy of the judiciary. Nigerians obviously have not heard the whole story of why Onnoghen is being persecuted. But we are sure that very soon the fear of the APC government and the reasons behind the orchestrated plan will be revealed.
“The whole world is watching and it is unfortunate the negative message we are passing with the treatment meted out to officials of the judiciary being third arm of government will definitely affect our rating in the comity of nations.”
However, the APC said Onnoghen’s resignation had vindicated Buhari and the party. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in an interview with journalists in Abuja recalled that the party rose in defence of the President when he suspended Onnoghen.
According to him, the party knew from the beginning that the allegations against Onnoghen were too serious and that the President does not act on frivolities.