CJN- The Nigeria Intervention Movement, a member of the ‘Third Force’ group, has given President Muhammadu Buhari seven days ultimatum to reinstate the embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The group, in a statement by its Director of Media Bureau, Mr Debo Adeniyi, warned Buhari that failure to do so would lead to an unprecedented mass action from the third force movement and its allies until the President rescinded his decision.

Buhari suspended Onnoghen on January 25, 2019 and immediately named as his replacement Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed, who is from Bauchi State.

The President explained that he removed Onnoghen based on an order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal dated January 23, 2019 over allegations that the CJN failed to declare his assets.

But in a statement on Sunday, the NIM, jointly led by Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Dr Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa, said it viewed Onnoghen’s suspension and his immediate replacement as against the norms of democracy.

The group said the CJN’s suspension was also a threat to “the feasibility of the 2019 general elections, as well as desperation to compromise all relevant institutions of state ahead of the 2019 elections.

“By this statement, we wish to put President Buhari on a strong notice that at the end of seven days from today, if President Buhari fails to reinstate the CJN, we shall be compelled to mobilise a coalition of the Nigerian civil society and leaders of conscience across the country to confront the Buhari regime with an unprecedented mass action to save Nigeria’s democracy.”