*** Say Buhari has no power to unilaterally suspend the CJN.

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- LEADERS of thought, elder statesmen from four of the six geo-political zones of the country, under the aegis of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, Thursday warned that the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari and replacing him with Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed is a serious constitutional crisis.

President Buhari swears in Acting CJN, Tanko Mohammed

According to leaders, the action of the President was a clear suspension of the constitution and enthronement of full blown dictatorship, just as they rejected what they described as the illegal suspension and demand its immediate reversal, adding that the suspension is null and void and of no effect whatever .

They said, “An emergency meeting of the Forum holds shortly on this total aberration. We call on all Nigerians to wake up to the reality that our democracy is now under threat and use all constitutional means to defend it. We must not surrender to this authoritarian rule .”

#TyrantBuhari: Nigerians come hard on President after Onnoghen’s suspension

In a signed statement, the leaders of the Middle- Belt, Ndi- Igbo( Ohaneaze, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, South- South and Afenifere said the action of the President amounts to high level of desperation on the part of the government and morbid desire to foist the rule of thumb, adding that the President has no power to unilaterally suspend the CJN.

The statement was signed by former Federal Commissioner for Information and South South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark;Chief Ayo Adebanjo, South West; Chief John Nwodo, South East and Dr Pogu Bitrus for Midddle Belt.