Obasanjo reacts to the criminal charges filed against the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Olusegun Obasanjo

Nigeria's former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, reacted to the criminal charges filed against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen.

Obasanjo stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) decided to go after the CJN because he refused to give in to their plot to win the 2019 election at all costs.

In a lengthy statement made available to the press by his media team on Sunday, Obasanjo said: “President Buhari and his hatchet men in the coming election think that the judiciary must be primed in their favour.”

The statement titled “Points for concern and action” continued: “Hence, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, has been harassed and prosecuted for non- declaration of his assets without following the Constitution and the law, just to make him conform or set him aside for a Buhari man to take over or act, as President Buhari and his people believe no stone should be left unturned to rig Buhari in.

“It seems to be a ploy to intimidate the judiciary as a whole in preparation for all election cases that will go before them. Where and how will all these stop? Typically, with overwhelming outrage and condemnation, we are told that the Presidency denied knowledge of the action. But the Vice-President told us that the President knew of the action on Saturday night for everything that has been prepared for Monday morning.

“Haba VP, it doesn’t happen that way. Nobody should take such measure against any of the four in hierarchy below the President or any of his ministers without his knowledge and indeed his approval. But if that can happen to the Chief Justice of the Federation, the fifth man in the hierarchy of government, without the knowledge let alone the approval of the President, then it speaks for the type of government we have which means the President is not in charge let alone being in control and no Nigerian must take anything for granted.

“We are all unsafe and insecure under such an administration. And enough of it! Buhari’s apologists will not stop at anything to try to cover up his administration’s inadequate performance and character. A constitutional liberal democracy cannot thrive without an independent and insulated judiciary from the executive and the legislature. Nigerians must wake up and stop these acts of wanton desperation tantamount to mental incapacity to run the affairs of Nigeria wholesomely.”