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The Federal Government has asked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen to step down.

This is coming even as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had called on the Federal Government to discontinue the prosecution of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, and follow due process.

Aliu Umar, the Nigerian government prosecutor in the ongoing trial said on Tuesday that the government wants the judge out of office.

Mr Umar, in his opening address at the resumed hearing in the matter, said Mr Onnoghen had been written, and wondered whether or not he had received it his letter.

Mr Onnoghen was not present when the tribunal opened at 10:21 a.m being the second since the matter first opened on January 14.

The Buhari administration accuses the CJN of failing to declare bank accounts despite being a Supreme Court judge since 2005, an offence that contracts the Code of Conduct Act and could see draw penalties if established.

Wole Olanipekun, a senior lawyer leading a team of over 50 defence counsels for Mr Onnoghen, said the judge was absent because of the cases that were instituted against the tribunal’s proceeding.