… Blasts PDP over stance on planned trial
The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday threw its weight behind the trial of Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr Walter Onnoghen, on Monday January 14, by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB)
In a statement signed by its National publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the party condemned the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for kicking against the scheduled trial.
Onnoghen faces charges over alleged failure to fully declare his assets.
He will be tried by the CCB at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on a six-count charge, including running foreign accounts used for transacting foreign currrencies.
The CJN is the first head of the nation’s federal judiciary to be accused of corruption since the nation returned to democracy two decades ago.
His trial follows similar experience of the incumbent Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who stood trial for about two years over similar accusations.
Saraki later won at the Supreme Court, after months of record-breaking litigations.It is however not clear if the Presidency through President Muhammadu Buhari will direct the CCB to stop Onnoghen’s arraignment as being advocated by many Nigerians, especially legal experts.
The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the CJN’s planned arraignment in a statement at the weekend.
Similarly, leading legal icons across the nation have independently opposed Onnoghen’s trial, claiming it would undermine the judiciary, especially as the 2019 general elections kick-off in about a month.
The APC said on Sunday in its statement that it remained committed to fighting corruption and would not be deterred by opposition from either the PDP or other institution or individual.
It said opposition of the PDP “exposed the party as one with a natural inclination to rise up in defence of cases of alleged corruption.
” Resort to baseless postulations anytime issues of corruption is leveled against public officers only confirm what Nigerians already know. PDP and corruption are siamese twins that are difficult to separate from each other. One would have thought that the PDP will call for impartial investigations when corruption cases are levelled against public officers, but spinning falsehoods and conspiracies remains the opposition party’s favourite past time.
“The fight against corruption remains a cardinal promise made by the APC to the electorate. We assure the PDP and indeed all Nigerians that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration remains uncompromising in its determination to rid the country of this malady.
“As noted on many occasions by President Buhari, it is only those who have committed crimes that need to worry. The APC administration will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute any public officer if and when such is indicted for corruption.
“Achieving acceptable elections in all democratic climes is a collective effort which require the contributions and support of all well-meaning Nigerians, political parties, institutions and sundry interests.
“Commendably, in successive elections conducted under the APC administration, the Party has played by the rules, which has led to credible elections. This cannot be said of the PDP era when state institutions were deployed to manipulate the electoral process.
“The PDP’s baseless conspiracy theory on APC’s participation in the 2019 general elections should hereby be disregarded. We remain solidly committed to ensure that the forthcoming election go on record as one of the freest, most credible and peaceful elections in the country,” the party said.
