The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, trying the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, over alleged non-declaration of assets, Danladi Umar, on Monday, accused Adeboyega Awomolo of tactically delaying proceedings.
Awomolo is the counsel to Onnoghen.
Awomolo had applied for adjournment of proceeding till Thursday following a petition submitted to the National Judicial Council, NJC, against Onnoghen.
According to him, the NJC would meet on the case on Wednesday, hence the adjournment would be necessary to avoid “double jeopardy.”
Although the counsel to the Federal Government, Aliyu Umar, agreed to the adjournment, the CCT chairman insisted that the lawyers of both parties in the case must move their applications which were already pending.
He argued that the petition before the NJC had nothing to do with the work of the tribunal.
Said he: “That (petition against Onnoghen at NJC) has nothing to do with the tribunal. Why are you using delay tactics?”
The allegation of “using delay tactics” annoyed Awomolo who denied doing that.
He argued that in his over 40 years at the bar, he had never engaged in that.
It took the intervention of the counsel to the Federal Government to calm frayed nerves.
He requested that the tribunal be stood down for 30 minutes.
It would be recalled that the probe of Onnoghen was resumed after the Court of Appeal refused to grant the request to stay proceeding in the case.
The request was made at the court by counsels to Onnoghen.
