Onnoghen’s suspension: Senate APC caucus seeks to join suit

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate Caucus Monday applied
to the Supreme Court to be joined in the suit filed by the Senate
challenging the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN),
Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The application of the APC Caucus to be joined in the suit is
coming despite the withdrawal of the suit by the leadership of the
upper chamber.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had in a statement said
that they decided to discontinue the case due to the intervention
of the National Judicial Council (NJC) in the matter.

Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, in another statement, said
that the APC caucus decided to join in the suit to challenge the
inclusion of its members by the leadership.

The statement reads: “The Senate caucus ‎of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), consisting 56 senators, being the majority party in
the Senate, today Monday, 4th February, 2019, applied to the
Supreme Court, to join in the suit purportedly filed by the Senate,
against the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, as interested parties.

“The APC senators rely on the Supreme Court (Additional
‎Original Jurisdiction) Act of 2002, which provides that the
resolution of the respective chambers of the National Assembly is a
prerequisite of filing such suit.

“The caucus is therefore challenging the said suit and objects
to the inclusion of its members.”

It is not clear whether the Senate APC caucus application to be
joined in the suit was made before the Senate withdrew the
suit.

It is also not clear if the caucus will insist on going ahead
with the suit.