Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was absent when the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) commenced sitting at 10am on Monday.
The tribunal had summoned him following a petition submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) by a civil society group identified as the Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative (ARDI).
Wole Olanipekun, a senior Nigerian lawyer who is leading a team of 46 other senior lawyers to enter defence for the chief justice, began by challenging the jurisdiction of the case.
“You have to first determine whether you have the jurisdiction to try this matter,” Olanipekun said to the tribunal chairman.
Olanipekun said the CJN has not been indicted by the National Judicial Council as legally required of serving judges before his matter was picked up by the tribunal following a petition filed by a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (CJN).
Olanipekun also said Mr Onnoghen was not given enough time to prepare for his arraignment before being summoned by the tribunal.
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