Nigeria: No FOreign Meddling

NIGERIA

No Foreign Meddling

Nigeria has rejected “foreign meddling” in its affairs, after the US and other world powers expressed concerns over President Muhammadu Buhari’s move to suspend the country’s chief justice in the lead-up to the presidential election on Feb. 16.

Buhari, who is seeking a second term, suspended Chief Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen Friday over accusations that he violated the country’s asset-disclosure rules, Reuters reported. The US, European Union and Britain all expressed worries about the timing of the decision, as in the past Nigerian polls have been marred by violence and vote rigging.

With Onnoghen’s suspension, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, sworn in as his interim replacement, would rule on any legal challenge to the results, CNN reported.

The main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) suspended campaigning for 72 hours in protest, and the president of the Nigerian Senate blasted the move as a “coup against democracy.” 

For its part, Buhari’s government said it would ensure free and fair elections. “This government will not bend the rules, and will not allow meddling in our affairs,” read a statement from Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu.