The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has refused an application for stay of proceedings filed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, against the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The court said the charges filed against Onnoghen are criminal in nature and the proceedings before the CCT cannot be stopped.
Onnoghen was suspended by Buhari last week pending the tribunal’s verdict on his alleged violation of assets declaration rules, weeks before a Feb. 16 presidential election in which Buhari is seeking a new mandate.
Onnoghen has not responded publicly to the allegations.
The appeals court had originally put the tribunal proceedings on hold indefinitely.
Because Nigeria’s chief judge has a key say in resolving electoral disputes, Onnoghen’s suspension has led Buhari’s opponents to accuse him of interfering in the electoral process and of showing regional and religious favouritism. The European Union and the United States have also voiced concerns.
The Code of Conduct Tribunal said on January 12 that Onnoghen would face six counts of alleged non-declaration of assets. The allegations were initially made by Dennis Aghanya, who served as Buhari’s media aide between 2009 and 2011.