Walter Onnoghen, the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, has resumed his legal fight at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a 2019 decision by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that led to his removal from office.
The case, which was revisited on Tuesday, concerns Onnoghen’s conviction by the CCT for allegedly failing to declare his assets, a ruling that resulted in his dismissal.
Onnoghen contends that the CCT lacked jurisdiction to try his case and that the charges should not have led to his removal. His legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Adegboyega Awomolo, is urging the Court of Appeal to overturn the CCT’s decision. They argue that the tribunal continued with the trial despite court orders that had suspended it.
The appeal also challenges the ex parte order that led to Onnoghen’s suspension, which was implemented without formal arraignment. Furthermore, the appeal claims that the CCT chairperson should have recused themselves from the case due to potential bias.
This legal challenge follows Onnoghen’s earlier unsuccessful attempts in 2019 to contest his suspension and removal through various legal channels.
Onnoghen was found guilty on all six counts of breaching the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by the CCT. These charges, brought by the federal government during his time as Chief Justice of Nigeria, led to an immediate removal order issued by the tribunal’s chairman, Danladi Yakubu Umar.
