PDP faults Osinbajo, insists Buhari knows about Onnoghen’s arraignment

chika ebuzor

January 16, 2019 8:23 PM

PDP also said that the decision to arraign the top judiciary officer cannot be taken without the President’s input.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo in his office at Aso Rock (Punch)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted a statement made by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on the arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen.

Osinbajo, on Wednesday, January 16, 2018, in Abuja, said that President Buhari did not know about the petition against the CJN, until Saturday, January 12, 2019, when it became public knowledge.

The VP said "I must tell you in clear terms that, for President Muhammadu Buhari, his whole approach is that institutions should just do their work.

"I can tell you for a fact that he did not even know about this (CJN trial) until Saturday evening.”

Onnoghen was slammed with a six count charge after a petition revealed that he failed to declare some of his assets.

The PDP wondered why Buhari did not stop the CJN’s arraignment after he found out.

The party also said that the decision to arraign the top judiciary officer cannot be taken without the President’s input.

According to Vanguard, PDP, in a statement said “However, if the avowal by Vice President Osinbajo’s was true, then it goes to confirm the assertion that President Buhari is not in charge of governance but has outsourced the responsibilities of his office to unelected individuals due to his incompetence.

“Vice President Osinbajo’s assertion has also confirmed the claims by our First Lady, Aisha Buhari that a cabal has taken over the control of the Presidency, for which she forcefully called on Nigerians to take back their country.

“The PDP notes that the Buhari Presidency is only trying to sway public opinion on the matter following the outrage by Nigerians against the arraignment of the CJN.”

The party also called on Nigerians to rise up against what it described as the undemocratic tendencies of Buhari’s government.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) on Wednesday, January 16, 2019, leaked a document purportedly issued by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), directing that the CJN’s bank accounts be blocked.