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Onnoghen: Middle Belt Forum Calls on Buhari to Resign, Says President Cannot be Trusted

Published

7 years ago

January 30, 2019

Eric

The Middle Belt Forum comprising 14 states of the Federation has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to tender his resignation letter, saying that the President can no longer be trusted.

The group made their position known in a statement made available to the press, and signed by its President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus.

They said however, if the President fails to resign, he should be voted out of office in the forthcoming polls.

See the statement:

SUSPENSION OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA, HONOURABLE JUSTICE WALTER SAMUEL KANU ONOGHEN, GCON:

Recall that the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) had in a press statement made in conjunction with its partners from the South South (PANDEF), the South East (Ohanaeze Ndigbo) and the South West (Afenifere) deprecated the unconstitutional and illegal purported removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) His Lordship, Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onoghen, GCON and called for the immediate reversal of the suspension. This was on Friday, 25th January, 2019.

Several days after we made the call, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR has refused, failed or neglected to reverse himself. The peoples of the Middle Belt have sought legal advice and reviewed the circumstances of the purported suspension viz-a-viz the Constitution of Nigeria and the law. Our findings are as follows:

The Motion Ex-parte upon which the purported suspension was predicated was filed on the 10th of January, 2019. When the matter came up on the 22nd day of January, 2019 for the arraignment of the CJN, the CJN through his lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the Tribunal while the Prosecution sought to move the Motion to direct the CJN to step aside and after the stepping aside, direct the President to swear in the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court to fill the vacuum. The Tribunal after listening to both sides ruled that it would take the objection to its jurisdiction first and thereafter, take the Motion of the Prosecution, if necessary. The Tribunal then adjourned to the 28th day of January, 2019 for the hearing of the two motions.

On Friday, 25th January, 2019, the President claimed that he had been served with an ex-parte order directing him to suspend the CJN and swear- in the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

The order the President claimed to have relied on in suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria is as follows:

That the Defendant/Respondent shall step aside as the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, National Judicial Council over allegations of contravening the provisions of the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act Cap C15 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 pending the determination of the Motion on Notice dated 10th January, 2019.

That the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall take all necessary measures to swear-in the most senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council in order to prevent a vacuum in the Judicial Arm of Government pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

4. Order 1 was directed at the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice W.S.N. Onoghen, GCON to act by stepping aside from his office. His compliance with that order would have created a vacuum. Order 2 directed at the president was predicated upon compliance with order 1. Until that order was complied with, order 2 would be inchoate and the president could not act in compliance with the order as there would be no vacuum as was the case in the instant case.

5. The Tribunal is vested with the inherent powers to enforce compliance with its own orders as part of the dignity of the Tribunal. The refusal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to comply with the order immediately conferred on the Tribunal the powers to enforce the order which should have been activated in accordance with the procedure laid out by the law.

6. The President rather than allowing the due process of the law, chose to overthrow the Constitution and the law by unilaterally suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onoghen, GCON from Cross River State and the only Southerner in the last 32 years to head that arm of Government of the Federation; and immediately swore-in Justice Tanko Mohammed, CON from Bauchi State in the North thereby ensuring that the three Arms of Government are headed by Northerners.

7. The Order above clearly did not empower the president to suspend the Chief Justice of Nigeria nor could the order have done so as that power lies squarely in the purview of the National Judicial Council. The position of the law today is as pronounced by the Court of Appeal in the Nganjiwa case.

8. The action of the Executive Arm in using the Code of Conduct Tribunal to harass, intimidate and embarrass the Chief Justice of Nigeria is insensitive, deceitful and calculated to deepen the division in Nigeria along religious and regional lines and stands condemned by the peoples of the Middle Belt and all people of good conscience across Nigeria. That action was in crass violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act which prohibits reference to the Code of Conduct Tribunal persons who have admitted in writing any omission(s) in their Asset Declaration. For the avoidance of doubt, Section 3 of the Act provides:

3. Functions of the Bureau
The functions of the Bureau shall be to-
(a) receive assets declarations by public officers in accordance with the provisions of this Act;
(b) examine the assets declarations and ensure that they comply with the requirements of this Act and of any law for the time being in force;
(c) take and retain custody of such assets declarations; and
(d) receive complaints about non-compliance with or breach of this Act and where the

Bureau considers it necessary to do so, refer such complaints to the Code of Conduct Tribunal established by section 20 of this Act in accordance with the provisions of sections 20 to 25 of this Act:

Provided that where the person concerned makes a written admission of such breach or non-compliance, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary.

9. Charging the Chief Justice of Nigeria was wicked and deceitful and capable of igniting a breakdown of law and order or even civil war. The peoples of the Middle Belt, in any war between the North and the South, would bear the brunt of the crisis and will resist anyone who deliberately desires to set the nation on fire.

10. The National Judicial Council (NJC) had in different cases reprimanded judicial officers who acted in the manner Justice Tanko Mohammed acted by unconstitutionally presenting themselves to be sworn in where they should not have done so.
a. Under Justice Mariam Alooma-Muktar as Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Justice Peter Agumagu of the Rivers state judiciary was suspended indefinitely and eventually compulsorily retired for accepting to be sworn-in as Acting Chief Judge by Governor Rotimi Amaechi without the recommendation of the NJC.
b. Justice Theresa Uzokwe of Abia state judiciary was suspended as Chief Judge and Justice Obisike Orji was sworn in to act in her place by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. The National Judicial Council with Justice Tanko Mohammed in attendance, reversed the action as unconstitutional and suspended Justice Obisike Orji for presenting himself to be sworn- in as Acting Chief Judge without reference to the NJC.

11. On the basis of the above, we the peoples of the 14 (Fourteen) States of the Middle Belt hereby declare as follows:
1. We the peoples of the Middle Belt region, as true Nigerians, believe in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, therefore, any person or group of persons who breach the Constitution or act in such a manner that will jeopardize the corporate existence of Nigeria and precipitate a humanitarian crisis of international dimension is an enemy of the Middle Belt and indeed of the Nigeria people.
2. That we cannot trust the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to be fair and just in carrying out his functions as the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His conduct is capable of setting this country on the path of anarchy and avoidable civil war.
3. We call on the President, having blatantly breached the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he swore to uphold and his Oath of Office to immediately resign. In the event of his refusal to do so, we call on all the peoples of the Middle Belt and all our allies to reject him at the polls.
4. We call on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to immediately remove Justice Tanko Mohammed from office for presenting himself to be sworn-in unconstitutionally as the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria when he was never recommended by the NJC.
5. We call on the international community to be proactive and prevent a descent into international humanitarian crises that may be occasioned by the disdain and contempt of the President for Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.
Thank you.

God bless the peoples of the Middle Belt!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Dr. Pogu Bitrus
President

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Tinubu Forced Obi, Kwankwaso to Work Together – Dele Momodu

Published

23 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Eric

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dele Momodu, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu is the one who forced opposition leaders such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso into working together ahead of the 2027 elections.

In an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Momodu argued that the current unity among some opposition figures is not born out of genuine long-term commitment but is a reaction to pressure from the ruling government.

“Tinubu forced all of them together. And that is why they all moved in one direction. Which would have been beautiful, because it would have been like a two-party race,” Momodu said.

The publisher of Ovation International made the comment while reacting to the defection of Obi and Kwankwaso to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, dumped the ADC on Sunday alongside former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate, Kwankwaso, citing legal disputes within the coalition and a toxic political climate.

The move sparked debate about a possible joint presidential ticket between the two opposition figures in the 2027 election.

Momodu, however, warned that the political situation has changed significantly since the 2023 election and cautioned against assumptions of automatic voter retention for major candidates.

“Are you saying that Tinubu will retain all the 8 million plus people that voted for him last time? How are you sure… What is the guarantee that Obi and Kwankwaso are the only people who will retain all those who voted for them last time? The situation has changed,” he queried.

Momodu added that if Tinubu allows a free and fair election, “he might not even get 3 million votes.”

He cited the poor performance of some G5 governors who could not secure senatorial seats in their states, including Enugu, Abia, and Benue, as evidence of shifting voter loyalty.

On coalition talks, the ADC chieftain said his party remains focused and steadfast.

He welcomed those willing to join but rejected any form of blackmail or the idea that victory depends on a single individual.

“Those who want to join should join. Those who do not want to join, you cannot succumb to blackmail. That only one man can make us win,” he declared.

He noted that the 2019 alliance between Atiku Abubakar and Obi did not produce victory, while their separate contests in 2023 also failed to unseat the ruling party.

He advised political actors to remain calm, quoting his late unlettered mother: “Stop running from whatever is chasing you, because you might run into what is chasing you.”

He wished the former Anambra governor well in testing his popularity elsewhere and stressed that no one should be forced out of the race based on one person’s claims.

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Nigerians Won’t Eat Your Bogus GDP Figures, ADC Tells FG

Published

1 day ago

May 7, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Wednesday, faulted the Federal government’s celebration of Nigeria’s reported GDP growth, saying the figures do not reflect the economic strain facing ordinary citizens.

The party’s position speaks to a growing gap between official claims of progress and the daily reality of rising food prices, shrinking incomes, job losses and mounting business costs across the country.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said economic growth is meaningless if it does not improve how people actually live.

“People do not eat GDP,” Abdullahi said.

The party said millions of Nigerians remain trapped in hunger, inflation, unemployment and weakening purchasing power despite government claims of recovery.

Rejecting the government’s narrative, the ADC said, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) rejects the Federal Government’s attempt to use headline GDP figures to whitewash the deep economic suffering Nigerians are currently enduring across the country.

“No government should be celebrating economic statistics while millions of its citizens are battling hunger, poverty, collapsing purchasing power, and rising hopelessness.

“The reality of the Nigerian economy is not what is written in government presentations. The reality is what Nigerians confront every day in markets, on farms, in factories, in shops, and in their homes.”

The party pointed to intensifying pressure on households and businesses nationwide.

Abdullahi said: “Food prices are unbearable. Transportation costs have become punitive. Small businesses are shutting down daily under the crushing weight of inflation, energy costs, and weak consumer demand. Salaries have lost value. Families who once lived modestly are now struggling to survive.

“Economic growth that does not reduce suffering, create jobs, improve incomes, or restore dignity to citizens is empty growth. Growth that only exists in official reports while citizens descend deeper into hardship is not meaningful progress.”

The ADC also questioned what Nigerians are being asked to celebrate under current conditions.

The party said, “The purpose of governance is not to manage public relations for economic statistics. The purpose of governance is to improve the living conditions of the people.

“What exactly should Nigerians celebrate? The fact that food inflation continues to devastate households? That millions of young Nigerians remain unemployed or underemployed? That businesses are collapsing faster than new ones are emerging? That more citizens are slipping into poverty despite working harder than ever?”

Calling for a shift in approach, the party urged the government to prioritise measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare over headline figures.

The ADC said: “A government that is serious about economic recovery would show humility, acknowledge the pain Nigerians are experiencing, and focus on delivering measurable improvements in living conditions instead of celebrating figures that have no meaning to hungry citizens.

“The ADC believes that the true test of economic policy is simple: Can Nigerians live better today than they did yesterday? For millions of Nigerians, the answer is no.

“Nigeria needs an economy that works for ordinary people, not an economy that only looks impressive in presentations to investors and international institutions.

“Until growth is felt in the homes of ordinary citizens, through affordable food, stable electricity, decent jobs, lower business costs, and improved purchasing power, this government has no moral basis to declare economic success.”

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I’m Not Leaving ADC, Rhodes-Vivour Vows

Published

3 days ago

May 5, 2026

Eric

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has opted out of the Obidient Movement, saying he is not leaving the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Rhodes-Vivour is a staunch supporter of Peter Obi, who moved from the ADC to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, on Sunday.

Since Obi and his prospective 2027 running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined NDC, there has been a gale of defections from the ADC to NDC.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, Rhodes-Vivour said himself and his team would remain in ADC to fight for a better Nigeria.

“To those who have made the difficult decision to move on to a new platform, I offer my genuine respect and best wishes.

“These are hard choices, We are all fighting for a better Nigeria, even when our roads diverge. I want to make it clear that I am staying in the ADC,” he said.