Fayose tells Osinbajo: Send Onnoghen’s name to senate

Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has called on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to send the name of Justice Walter Onnoghen to the Senate for confirmation as the substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria without further delay.

Fayose said Osinbajo as a lawyer himself should know that it was dangerous to the unity of Nigeria and sustenance of democracy to deny Onnoghen the opportunity to head the Supreme Court.

Fayose, in a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said it was strange that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Justice Onnoghen in an acting capacity despite National Judicial Council’s recommendation.

“As a lawyer, acting President Osinbajo should do the needful by simply sending Justice Onnoghen’s name to the senate as recommended by the NJC,” he said.

Reacting to Justice Onnoghen’s plea that Nigerians should not mount pressure on Buhari on his behalf, Fayose said, “Justice Onnoghen should leave Nigerians to put pressure on President Buhari, who has refused to perform his mandatory constitutional responsibility of sending the name of anyone nominated by the NJC for appointment as Chief Justice of Nigeria to the senate for confirmation.

“It should not be seen that Justice Onnoghen was denied of his appointment as a substantive Chief Justice of Nigeria because he is from the South-South or that they want to use his pending appointment as substantive CJN to make him do their bidding.”