PDP reacts to allegations against CJN, Onnoghen

chika ebuzor

January 12, 2019 8:07 PM

PDP's chairman, Secondus says the latest move shows that All Progressives Congress (APC) is afraid of an independent judiciary.

PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the allegations levelled against Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Onnoghen is being accused of operating several domiciliary bank accounts with some banks.

According to reports, the Federal Government has also filed a case against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for reportedly failing to declare his assets.

The CJN is expected to be arraigned before the CCT on Monday, January 14, 2019.

In his reaction, the chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus said that Buhari’s administration wants to paralyse the judiciary.

According to Daily Post, Secondus said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is afraid of an independent judiciary.

The PDP chairman said this while speaking to party supporters at the Jos Polo ground in Plateau state.

He said “They want to kill Senator Dino, they want to kill the Senate President, they want to kill every body but they will fail because God is with Nigerians.”

Secondus also warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies against rigging the upcoming elections.

“Let me warn, you cannot rig this election, the will of the of the people must prevail whether you like it or not, that is democracy,” He added.

Rigging plot

Also, the spokesman of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement issued to newsmen, said that the APC's plot is to get a new CJN who will aid its rigging plan.

He said “APC seeks a new CJN that will aid its rigging schemes as well as execute the plot to use the court to detain and put opposition members and outspoken members of Civil Society Organizations out of circulation during the general elections.

“This development is a clear recipe for anarchy and a huge crisis that is capable of fracturing our justice system and derail our democracy as it portends a prelude to a total clamp down on institutions of democracy and rule of law in our country.

“The PDP therefore urges all Nigerians, the United Nations and all international bodies to unite in the defence of our democracy, especially at this very critical time in our political development.

“Moreover, if President Buhari is committed to cleaning up the system as he claims, we challenge him to allow the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, whose tenure has expired and who had also been rejected by Nigerians due to his manifest partisanship, to go.

“President Buhari should also ask Amina Zakari to recuse herself from INEC following her rejection by Nigerians over issues of impropriety in her appointment as Chairperson of the Presidential election collation committee.

“Furthermore, we challenge Mr. President to also commence plans for the immediate prosecution of members of his campaign organization, including his co-Chairman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the factional National Chairman of his APC, Adams Oshiomhole over allegations of corruption against them.

“Finally, the PDP counsels the APC to note that it has been rejected by Nigerians and as such should end all its actions and schemes that overheat the polity and place our nation on the precipice.”

A prominent lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome has also described the allegations levelled against Justice Onnogehn as political witch-hunting.