PDP suspends 2019 campaign over CJN, Onnoghen's suspension

News Agency Of Nigeria 10:58 - 26 January 2019

Atiku Abubakar already has the support of his party PDP in a planned bid to reduce the price of fuel in Nigeria to an affordable amount. At his conglomerates, staff have received approval for a new minimum wage.

Nigeria's main opposition party has suspended its presidential election campaign for 72 hours in protest at the suspension of the country's most senior judge by President Muhammadu Buhari, it said on Saturday.

The president on Friday said he had suspended chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen who has been asked to appear before a tribunal over allegations of breaching asset-declaration rules.

Onnoghen has not responded to the charges and his lawyers say the tribunal does not have the authority to try him.

President Buhari suspends Onnoghen, swears in Tanko Mohammed as acting CJN

Buhari, who was a military ruler in the 1980s and voted into office in 2015, is seeking a fresh term in an election scheduled to take place on Feb. 16. At stake is control of Africa's top crude oil producer and one of the continent's biggest economies.

ALSO READ: Saraki says President Buhari went against constitution by suspending CJN

Nigeria's judiciary has helped resolve electoral disputes after past votes, some of which have been marred by violence and vote rigging. The chief justice could preside over a disputed election result.

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen's led judgement on the crisis rocking the opposition party brought a new life into the party

"In the first instance, we are suspending our campaign for 72 hours. It is our hope that President Buhari will listen to the voice of all lovers of democracy the world over and restore democracy in Nigeria immediately and without qualifications," the People's Democratic Party (PDP) said in a statement.