A Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, dismissed the motion filed by Suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, seeking for a stay of proceedings of his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Onnoghen has been undergoing trial at the CCT over allegations of the non-declaration of his assets.
The appellate court ruled that the evidence presented by Onnoghen’s lawyers was not enough as their request for the stay of execution was brought in a vacuum and lacks the backing of legal provisions on the reason it should be granted.
Mr Onnoghen’s lawyers brought their application to the appellate court because of the CCT ‘s refusal of their request that challenged the tribunal’s jurisdiction to hear the case alongside other motions before proceeding with the main trial.
Justice Abdul Aboki read through the tribunal’s ruling and ruled afterwards that the court adjourned the motions filed by the two parties and subsequently dismissed the application.
“A court has inherent jurisdiction to grant stay of proceedings where it is certified that enough evidence has been given for such,” Aboki said.
With the case dismissed, the CCT can proceed with the trial of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria.
The tribunal had indefinitely postponed the hearing due to an order by the Court of Appeal.
