President Buhari suspended Justice Onnoghen on Friday, January 25, 2019.
According to Daily Post, the chairman of the forum and Governor of Bayelsa state, Seriake Dickson said the CJN’s suspension shows that Nigeria’s democracy is under stress.
Dickson also said that Buhari’s action raises concerns about the upcoming elections.
Due process must be followed
The forum also condemned the President for suspending Onnoghen and called for due process to be followed.
The Bayelsa state Governor, in a statement issued to newsmen said “Talking about the unfortunate development, having read the details about it, and if the report that we are reading about it are anything to go by, then it is a very sad commentary on our nation’s democracy
“It is a very sad day, for our nation’s democracy and for the stability of our nation, and the stability of the critical national institution of which the judiciary is primus inter pares.
“We must be concerned about the process, the integrity of the national critical institutions that will safeguard and reinforce our democracy, seeing our democracy has come under very severe stress and test by what has happened today.”
The forum had earlier called on the President to condemn the move to arraign Justice Onnoghen, who hails from Cross-River state before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).
The states that make up the South-South region of Nigeria are: Akwa-Ibom, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Cross River and Bayelsa states.