Protesters under the aegis of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Monday stormed the premises of the American Embassy protesting what they described as the “illegal removal” of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.
The protesters, led by the Convener of the National Interest Defenders and the National Chairman of the Action People’s Party (APP), Chief Ikenga Ugochinyere, were seen carrying placards and banners with different inscriptions such as, ‘save democracy’, ‘Buhari must go’, ‘CCT has compromised’, and ‘respect the rule of law’, among others.
Addressing the crowd and journalists, Chief Ugochinyere said the event marked the beginning of civil actions by Nigerians to reclaim the country from the “grip of political barbarians and buccaneers” who he said have treated Nigeria’s Constitution with disdain, “principles of our constitutional governance with scorn and our democratic ethos with contempt and derision.”
He said, “Let it be known that we reject in its entirety the purported and unconstitutional suspension of the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we demand that all legal process must be followed to ensure that this constitutional breach is reversed.
“We resolve that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), should commence a total boycott of all courts in the land, that the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and indeed all lovers of democracy and constitutional governance shut down all the courts until these political barbarians are returned to their senses.
“That the Attorney General of the Federation and the Vice President be called upon to resign for being complicit in the constitutional breach.
“That the Attorney General of the Federation and the Vice President should face Disciplinary Committee of the Bar for disciplinary actions; and that in line with the precedent laid during the Abia State Chief Judge saga, that the NJC should dismiss the purported Acting CJN who presented himself to be sworn in, in circumstances that were less than noble.
“I also call on all lovers of freedom and democracy all over the world to rise to the occasion and demand of this government and the President to halt the march to anarchy and bedlam, which dictatorship promotes.”
However, a group of Pro-Buhari protesters also stormed the premises of the US embassy carrying placards with different inscriptions such as, ‘No campaign of calumny’, ‘corruption must not be allowed to thrive’, among others.
Our correspondent however, learnt that there was no clash at the scene as the first group of protesters had already left.
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