By Banji Ayoola
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the planned prosecution of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by the APC led Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, as an alleged clandestine plot to behead the judiciary and emasculate it ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
Indeed, it called the planned trial of the head of the nation’s judiciary a manifestation of the alleged rigging plan of the ruling party.
In a statement by its South West chapter, and signed by the Zonal Publicity Secretary, Mr Ayo Fadaka, the party linked the travails of the CJN to the challenges being faced by institutions having responsibilities in the conduct of the polls..
The statement was entitled: “Prosecuting the CJN: APC’s desperate rigging plan manifesting.”
It said “This prosecution of the CJN is politically motivated and calculated towards perfecting the evil plan to return President Buhari back to office irrespective of the electoral expressions of Nigerians in the forthcoming elections.
We however want to warn that the ambitions of a man and his Party must not be implemented at the expense of the peace and tranquility of our dear nation.”
According to the party: “We believe that these aforementioned issues constitute major planks in the rigging plans of the APC, with a compromised INEC, an unprofessional and partisan Police management, there remains no hope that the elections will be free and fair.
Therefore in that situation the judiciary remain the only hope for the sanitization of the process and the APC government of President Buhari is now clandestinely planning to behead the judiciary and emasculate it.”
It said: “We take due cognizance of the plan to prosecute the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over an alleged curious infraction, we also note that the arrowhead of the petition is a one-time aide of President Mohammed Buhari.
This action is being anchored on the continuing war against corrupt practices, a war in itself curious in prosecution and selective implementation.
“We however believe that this action is not isolated from challenges currently being encountered by institutions saddled with responsibilities to be of essence in the forthcoming elections.
Lately the issue of obnoxious INEC Guidelines for the elections continue to dominate political discuss as ninety one political parties continue to cry foul over issues contained therein that is believed to be capable of compromising elections, more so against the background of President Buhari’s veto of the electoral act.
The failure of the President to also allow the retiring Inspector General of Police to vacate the office for another officer is also a threat to free and fair elections in view of the records of the outgoing IG in all elections conducted so far since he assumed the position. ”
The party called on the CJN to refuse to resign his position as being demanded , saying Nigeria is under “attack from forces who seek to impose upon it a clandestine agenda that is capable of bringing unimaginable destruction upon our nation.”
It said: “We therefore call on the CJN to bear this trial with equanimity and refuse to resign his position in the interest of the nation.
Nigeria is a nation currently under attack from forces who seek to impose upon it a clandestine agenda that is capable of bringing unimaginable destruction upon our nation.
The peace and tranquility of the nation which is largely absent now should be concern of a patriotic leadership and not playing tricks geared at perpetuating it in power at the expense of the nation.”
