By Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday reserved ruling to a date that would be communicated to parties in the appeals filed by the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, against the decisions of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
A three-man panel of the court led by Justice Stephen Adah made the announcement after the counsel in the matters adopted their briefs of argument in the four appeals filed before the court.
In the first appeal, Onnoghen is challenging the jurisdiction of the CCT to hear the charge against him, being a serving judicial officer.
In the second appeal, he is challenging the decison of the Tribunal to hear all pending applications together including his application challenging the jurisdiction of the Tribunal to entertain the suit.
In the third appeal, the suspended CJN is challenging the veracity of the ex-parte order directing Onnoghen to vacate office as CJN and for President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an acting CJN.
Though Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) had announced appearance for Onnoghen, however Chief Chris Uche (SAN), who argued the appeal on behalf of Onnoghen, emphasised that there is need for the appellate court to examine the circumstances surrounding the grant of the exparte order by the Tribunal.
“The court should interrogate the circumstances which we consider questionable,” Uche said, adding that the grant of the exparte order has had far reaching consequences on the rule of law in the country.
Details later…
