The Nigerian Senate has called off its planned emergency session it
had planned to hold tomorrow January 29th, to consider the suspension of
the Chief Justice of Nigeria(CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen.
There have been rumors that the emergency session may degenerate into
a fight as the APC and PDP senators were allegedly poised for a
showdown.
The Clerk to the Senate, Nelson Ayewor in a statement entitled
“Cancellation of Senate resumption in plenary” informed “all
Distinguished senators of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria that the resumption in plenary scheduled for tomorrow,
Tuesday 29th January, 2019 has been cancelled.”
The statement said that the scheduled date of resumption in plenary earlier fixed for Tuesday, 19th February, 2019 remains.
Earlier today, the Senate filed a case in the Supreme Court, seeking
its interpretation on whether President Muhammadu Buhari acted within
the provision of the constitution in his suspension of the Chief Justice
of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Walter Nkannu Onnoghen or whether the
action of the President does amount to usurpation of the powers of the
Senate as provided for in Section 292 of the constitution.
Following the filing of the case, the matter of the suspension of the
CJN which is the main issue for which the Senate had planned to
reconvene tomorrow, has become subjudiced.
Therefore, in line with the standing rules of the Senate not to
debate issues that are already pending before the court, the reconvening
of the Senate tomorrow has been put off. The previous adjournment of
the Senate till February 19, 2019 stays.
