TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the senate has distanced itself from the decision to approach the supreme court over the suspension of Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).

On Monday, the senate had cancelled its planned plenary and had filed a case at the supreme court, seeking interpretation on whether President Muhammadu Buhari acted within the provision of the constitution in his suspension of Onnoghen.

Reacting, Ahmed Lawan, senate leader, said the lawmakers never made a resolution to take the matter to court.

“It has come to the notice of the Senate APC caucus that the Senate has approached the Supreme Court for the interpretation of the suspension of Justice Walter Onnoghen by the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces,” Lawan said in a statement.

“For the records, the Senate never met to take such resolution and at no time mandated anyone to approach the Supreme Court on this matter on its behalf.

“Consequently, the Senate APC caucus dissociates itself from the said request for the legal interpretation of the suspension.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier alleged that there were moves to bribe APC senators with huge sums of money to protect Buhari from imminent parliamentary sanctions for constitutional breaches.

The PDP had said it raised the alarm to protect Nigeria’s democracy.