US Ambassador, Stuart Symington, has responded to Nigeria’s condemnation of Washington’s interference on the suspension of the country’s Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen.
Symington, who spoke via twitter Monday, said the United States supports Nigeria’s democracy, because “what happens in Nigeria will affect the world…and it depends on every Nigerian.”
The United States and European Union had said Friday that Onnoghen’s suspension could undermine Nigeria’s general elections which is barely three weeks away on Feb. 16 vote.
The Nigerian government didn’t take the statement lightly and issued a statement condemning what it said was an undue interference with its domestic affairs.
READ ALSO: More knocks trail Akwa Ibom’s poor unemployment ranking
The market seemed unfazed by the news, with the naira strengthening to N362 per dollar at the market-reflective I & E window Friday. Stocks fell less than 0.5 percent and bond yields closed lower.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has faced a widespread backlash from opposition leaders and the legal community since Onnoghen’s suspension Friday.
The decision came after Onnoghen was put on trial two weeks ago by the Abuja-based Code of Conduct Tribunal for an allegedly false declaration of his assets. In addition to that charge, Buhari said security agencies had linked “suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars” to Onnoghen’s personal accounts. The president said the CCT ordered him to suspend the judge until the trial is over.
