Former deputy national publicity secretary of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, says the planned
arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen,
before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is meant to “appoint another
CJN who would help legitimize President Muhammadu Buhari’s second
tenure  at the Supreme Court.”

In a statement on Saturday, January 12, 2019,
Frank condemned the “haste and the illegality” apparent in the move by
the federal government to get Onnoghen replaced “at all cost” before the
February presidential elections “which they have concluded plans to rig
in favour of Buhari and the APC.”

He warned that the plot to remove
Onnoghen would be resisted by Nigerians adding: “Nigerians are not
surprised at the desperation and haste by Buhari and the APC to
illegally get Justice Onnoghen out of the Supreme Court and install a
pliant CJN before the presidential elections in February.

“Knowing that Nigerians have rejected them
they are now in a panic mode. But, what they don’t know is that
Nigerians are ready for them as they have resolved not to be fooled
anymore. They will definitely be voted out but they are preparing ground
for a spontaneous and massive crisis that will engulf the entire
country should they rig the elections,” he added.

CUPP on Onnoghen

Similarly, the Coalition of Political Parties
(CUPP) has condemned the proposed arraignment of the CJN weeks to the
general elections.

In a statement signed by its national
spokesperson, Ikemba Ugo Chinyere, CUPP said the ordeal of the CJN was
not unexpected knowing that “the Presidency had during the appointment
of Justice Onnoghen shown its card that it was not comfortable with his
appointment hence it was delayed until President Buhari was hurried out
of the country due to “perennial” illness.

The statement said: “This dastardly
move by the Presidency is the last desperate acts of an outgoing
government to blackmail the CJN out of office and bring in a rouge judge
to allow APC rigging.

“The President had refused to sign the
Electoral Act Amendment into law thereby neutralizing the legislature on
issues concerning this election; he had serially disobeyed court orders
thereby abused and destroyed our courts by that, severally abused the
fundamental rights of citizens.

“He has compromised the security agencies by
manipulating the leadership of all of them including illegally extending
the tenure of the Inspector General of Police;

“The
INEC and indeed all other agencies of the State have been intimidated
and harassed to do the bidding of an unpopular tyrant and would be
deployed to deny Nigerians their will at the polls.

“Knowing that the Supreme Court would not
pander to their whims and approve their rigging of the elections, they
have resorted to this arm twisting tactics,” it added.

Onnoghen, who has been accused of failing to
declare his assets and operating several domiciliary bank accounts, will
be arraigned before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Monday, January 14, 2019.