An activist, Kelechi Eke, has started an online petition to compel the United Nations and the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) to intervene in the suspension of Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Nkanu Onnoghen.
The petition, which requires the signature of 5,000 individuals before it can be forwarded to both institutions, has already been signed 3770 times as at 2:50pm Nigerian time on Saturday.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday announced the suspension of Onnoghen following a Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) order of Wednesday, January 23. Onnoghen has been accused of non-assets declaration and money laundering.
Buhari immediately appointed Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as the acting CJN.
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In a special appeal to the UN and the DoJ added to the petition, Eke said, “We Nigerians in the Diaspora are urging you to intervene in the latest decision by the president of Nigeria, former dictator General Muhammadu Buhari, in his decision to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Nkanu Samuel Onnoghen – just three weeks before presidential election.
“The decision by President Buhari, who seeks a second term in the February 16 vote, not only sends Africa’s most populous country into a constitutional crisis; it also sets a tone of violent election that could claim innocent lives.
“Nigeria has a history of violence and killings during elections and we urge the United Nations to step in to ensure peaceful election in the country. Removal of the Chief Justice from office for no apparent reason violates human rights and democracy in Nigeria. It clearly shows the president’s hidden agenda to keep himself in power by all means. Please help.”
The online petition is available for signing via change.org.