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Elder statesman, Edwin Clark has written a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, lauding her efforts to reform the judiciary while revisiting the controversial removal of Justice Walter Onnoghen as Chief Justice of Nigeria by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
In the letter made available to the media in Abuja on Sunday, Clark described the removal as a gross injustice and a blot on Nigeria’s democratic record.
Clark commended Justice Kekere-Ekun’s commitment to cleaning up the judiciary, emphasising the importance of an efficient and incorruptible judicial system.
“Without an efficient and incorruptible judiciary, Nigeria will end up as a failed country,” he wrote, expressing the hope that ongoing reforms would restore public confidence in the judiciary.
In revisiting the events surrounding Justice Onnoghen’s ousting, the foremost South-South leader described it as an orchestrated humiliation carried out by Buhari and his then-Attorney General, Abubakar Malami.
He characterised the suspension of Onnoghen and the subsequent appointment of Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed as Acting CJN as “callous, unjust, and barbaric.”
The elder statesman argued that Onnoghen was unfairly targeted to ensure the judiciary aligned with Buhari’s political ambitions, particularly during the 2019 presidential election.
He recounted how Onnoghen’s removal circumvented due process, as the National Judicial Council (NJC) was not consulted, and alleged that judicial tribunals established under Justice Tanko Mohammed were manipulated to favour Buhari’s re-election.
Clark did not mince words in condemning the broader culture of impunity under Buhari’s administration, likening it to practices in autocratic regimes.
He called for accountability, urging the administration of President Bola Tinubu to ensure that no individual or officeholder is above the law.
“Sacred cows must not exist in Nigeria, no matter whose ox is gored,” Clark asserted.
He criticised the tendency of former presidents to avoid scrutiny despite allegations of corruption, noting, “Today in Nigeria, we have corrupt presidents accusing their successors of corruption without reflecting on their own actions in office.”
Clark also highlighted the irony in Onnoghen’s case, recalling how the former CJN had been part of the Supreme Court panel whose ruling favoured Buhari in the 2011 presidential election dispute.
He suggested that Onnoghen’s principled stance and independence posed a threat to Buhari’s second-term bid, making his removal a calculated move.
Clark made a broader call for reform and justice, urging the judiciary and the Tinubu administration to address past injustices to strengthen democracy and the rule of law.
He also hinted at the possibility of legal redress, stating that Buhari’s actions should be brought to trial to set a precedent for accountability.
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