Buhari won’t ask anybody to bribe judges - President's aide says

chika ebuzor

October 30, 2016 7:21 PM

Shehu said the President will be the last person to ask a judge for help to win his case.

Mallam Garba Shehu

The Senior Special Assistant to

Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Mahmud Mohammed, had alleged that the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi told them that Buhari asked him to speak to them to change their rulings on some election cases.

The senior judicial officers are among those arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) recently.

Speaking on the issue, Shehu described the President as a principled man, adding that he has never deviated from that.

The President’s media aide also said “President Muhammadu Buhari would be the last person to authorize anybody to induce a judge to pervert the course of justice.

“Despite his familiarity with some judges, the President had never asked them for favours; Since 2003, 2007 and 2011, when he was challenging the fairness of the presidential election results, from the lowest to the highest courts in the land.

“As a politician, Buhari had never suggested to his lawyers to approach any judge for assistance to win his cases. The President lives by this principle and has never deviated from it.”

Shehu, who told journalists that Buhari will not dabble into the issues of the judiciary, said the law will protect those who are innocent.

Adding that the “President doesn’t tell courts how to do their jobs and that anybody accused of corruption is protected by law and is able to defend his innocence.

“The President doesn’t have any powers to force any court to convict anybody who is innocent.”

He also added that the President will be the last person to ask a judge for help to win any of his cases.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has finalised plans to probethe judges that were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

chika ebuzor