The Court of Appeal in Abuja has granted the request of the Federal Government and former Chief Justice of Nigeria,Justice Walter Onnoghen, to settle out of court in an appeal challenging his removal as CJN.
The decision of the court followed information to the effect that the two parties in the suit have intensified efforts to reach an amicable settlement of all issues in dispute.
At Thursday’s proceedings in the appeal, lead counsel to the former CJN, Ogwu James Onoja, informed a 3-man panel of justices of the Appeal Court that the two parties are already having discussions on a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
Onoja informed the court that the parties had an engagement up until Wednesday, September 18 and expressed optimism that the discussion would bear fruitful results.
The senior lawyer subsequently appealed to the appellate court for a one-month adjournment for final settlement of the matter.
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Federal government lawyer Tijani Gazali corroborated the submission of Onoja and requested that the matter be shifted forward for a possible amicable settlement.
Briefly, Justice Jumbo Oyewole, directed parties to file terms of settlement for adoption when eventually agreed upon, as terms of settlement must be documented and filed before the adjourned date for the court to adopt as its judgement in the matter.
Justice Oyewole subsequently fixed November 4 as the return date for the two parties.
Justice Onnoghen was forced out of office in 2019 based on an order issued by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, through a legal procedure many had described as unconventional and unconstitutional.
Editor : Ena Agbanoma
