Onnoghen: PDP in affinity with judiciary -APC

.. Without Judiciary, APC would have arrested all Nigerians – Secondus

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

Following the inability of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen to appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday, the governing All Progressive Congress has alleged that the affinity existing between the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a section of the judiciary may have accentuated the non appearance of the CJN before the CCT.

The APC who insists that the law must take its full course also regretted the role played by the governors of South South region who had urged the embattled CJN not to respect the court summon.

While addressing the media on Monday, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said, “we regret to suggest that the PDP’s attempt to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that there is a political motive behind the allegation brought against the CJN might itself be indicative of some unholy alliances.

“The likely affinity existing between the PDP and a section of the judiciary is further accentuated by the nonappearance of Justice Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal on Monday in line with the suggestions made by the PDP governors from the South South on Sunday.

“Are Nigerians expected to see this as a mere coincidence? Is the PDP and their governors acting a script? Haven’t we missed an opportunity to show confidence in an institution headed by the CJN?

“This becomes more worrisome knowing that the PDP’s campaigns have been receiving a cold shoulder everywhere they have gone to and it has become apparent the party and its Presidential candidate are facing imminent defeat in the February 2019 elections and may be searching for some unorthodox means of forcing itself on the Nigerian people.

“If this were not so, the PDP should, before coming to these distracting conclusions, have taken cognisance of the facts of the allegations made against the CJN and his admission to the facts so stated.

“We have also noticed the very dangerous attempt to designate the CJN’s arraignment along ethnic and religious lines thereby trying to heat up the polity by evoking primordial sentiment which would do the country no good. This is an ungodly ploy when we consider that the CJN was an officer of the federation rather than that of any region.

“We wish to put on record that the virulent attack that has come from the PDP in the wake of the trial of the CJN over alleged false asset declaration is particularly worrisome and suspicious when the PDP has in fact called for the removal of virtually all heads of government’s arms, particularly the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Inspector General of the Police over frivolous issues.

“While the will not be drawn into debates on the legality and sponsored conspiracies of the CCT trial, we insist that our democratic and constitutional institutions must be allowed to operate without interference and undue pressure from partisan and sundry interests as being done by the PDP and its cronies.

“The CCT trial is a legal matter, let the law run its course. The CJN must go through the instrumentalities of the courts, more importantly as an institution he represents. Indeed, this is the true test of our constitution, rule of law and will deepen democracy.

“Where there are contestations on institutional procedures, we must allow same institutions perform their functions unhindered, autocorrect if necessary and set good precedence on future matters.”

Meanwhile, The National Chairman of Prince Uche Secondus applauded the judiciary for its role in the current political crisis and for standing firm for the common man.

He said, “Without the judiciary, APC would have arrested all Nigerians. They don’t understand, they don’t understand the constitution. You mist follow due process, no be so?

“You want to fight corruption, follow due process, we are not against anti corruption, but you must follow due process. We are not in a military region and so they must follow due process.

“You know why the economy has collapsed, you know why the security has collapsed. The President you have now, President Buhari has been sleeping. That is why there is no employment, the man sleeps every day. The economy is sleeping, the security is sleeping.

“We don’t want that again to happen to Nigerians. The future of all you is in the hand of God, not in the hand of Buhari, the destiny of all us is in the hand of God, and not in the hand of Buhari and APC.

“They want to destroy all institutions, they started from the legislature, they are have now gone to the judiciary to destroy, but God forbid, they cannot destroy it.

“We have a man with energy, the whole world is waiting for to come on board on the 29th of May, that will work for 24 hours so that he can provide employment, so that he can provide security for all, so that the economy can grow. Nigeria will get better, then the economy of this nation will get working again.”

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