Niger Delta Will Resist Buhari’s Attempt To Intimidate CJN Onnoghen – Clark

Niger Delta Will Resist Buhari’s Attempt To Intimidate CJN Onnoghen – Clark

FORMER Federal Commissioner for Information and Niger-Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned that the people of Niger Delta would sturdily defy attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to harass and force the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen out of office because of the plan by All Progressives Congress, APC, to rig the elections.

Chief Clark, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, said,
“The people of Nigeria Delta will not accept the CJN being harassed and
forced out of office because President Muhammadu Buhari and his party
want someone, who will do their bidding after rigging the elections.”

“Pan-Niger
Delta Forum, PANDEF, which represents the traditional rulers, leaders
and stakeholders of the coastal states of Niger Delta and indeed the
entire Niger Delta people, will never accept it. We will go all out
legally to fight this battle and will never yield to anybody. It is pure
victimization,” he said.

The elder statesman, asserted, “We were
all shocked on Saturday when the news came that the Chief Justice of
Nigeria is being charged before the Code of Conduct Tribunal. This is
clearly unnecessary harassment of the judiciary, a different arm of
government that is independent.”

“First of all, we all know that
before the Chief Justice was appointed, the same President Buhari
delayed it, refused to appoint him until when he went on leave on health
grounds and that enabled the Vice President, who was acting President
to send his name to the Senate for confirmation and appointment.
“Buhari
has always preferred that one of his kinsmen should be the Chief
Justice of Nigeria. CJN Onnoghen has done nothing wrong, you cannot
charge him to court because the court lacks jurisdiction to try him. The
matter should first got the National Judicial Council, NJC.

“They
just want to harass him, molest him simply because they want somebody
that will be pliable after they have rigged the elections, to appoint
tribunal chairmen and members for them to consolidate their rigging.

“That is all what they are looking for, not any other thing, but I want to warn that this country belongs to all of us, if some people think that they own this country , let them have it and others will have their own country.
“You
cannot treat some people as if they are slaves or second-class citizens
in this country, we will never allow it, not at this time, the
harassment is becoming too much,” he hollered.

His words,
“The same Mr. President is telling people that he believes in free and
fair election, he vowed to do credible election when in the real case
his plan is to rig the election and is looking for those who will rig
election for him.”

“He appointed his relation as Chairman of the
INEC Collation Centre despite the fact that everybody knows that he
lived with this woman’s father and the woman’s younger brother is the
Minister of Water Resources. What are they thinking of, this country
does not belong to a group of people.

“If we want to keep this
country together, we must do things to keep it united. Are we saying
that the minority will not exist in this country and that northerners
will hold all key positions? No and if not, if means we do not want this
country,” he said.

Clark commended the South-South governors,
who convened an emergency meeting today (Sunday) to deliberate on the
matter, saying, “I appeal to the governors and I congratulate the
Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, Hon Seriake Dickson, for
calling an emergency meeting to deliberate on this matter.”

“We,
the leaders and people of the whole of the South-South and Niger Delta
are behind the governors. They should declare our stand, Justice
Onnoghen should not be harassed, will neither accept nor condone it,” he
added.

Source:- Vanguardngr