PDP suspends campaign over Onnoghen’s suspension

Nigeria’s opposition People’s Democratic Party said it has suspended its election campaigns for 72 hours after the chief justice of the country Walter Onnoghen was suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“we are suspending our campaign for 72 hours,” PDP’s national chair Uche Secondus said.

“It is our hope that President Buhari will listen to the voice of all lovers of democracy the world over and restore democracy in Nigeria immediately and without qualifications.”

Onnoghen is facing a six-count charge of non-declaration of assets when he became the chief justice of Nigeria. President Buhari said the allegations against Onnoghen were “grievous enough”.

He said in an address on Friday that “security agencies have since then traced other suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars to the CJN’s personal accounts.”

Onnoghen’s suspension was immediately followed by the swearing in of Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed as the acting chief justice of Nigeria.

Although Secondus was silent on the allegations against Onnoghen, he said Buhari’s action was in defiance to the Constitution and an “attack on democracy”.