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The attention of the Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by H. E. Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, CON has been drawn to a 4-Page Letter written by Justice John Inyang Okoro, JSC to the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (CJN/NJC) dated 17 October, 2016, in which he informed that the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Mr. Umana Umana, the APC Candidate of Akwa Ibom state attempted to bribe and sway justice against the PDP Candidates in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia States, respectively.
The PDP view this allegation as grievous, dangerous, criminal and unhealthy for our democracy and the rule of law. This information by a high ranking Judge must not be swept under the carpet like previous petitions and the Report of the Rivers State Judiciary Commission of Inquiry that revealed so many misappropriations of funds by the former Governor when he held sway from 2007 to 2015. Another salient point is the revelation that Hon. Amaechi sponsored Umana Umana based on return on investment; and we want to ask, with which funds? For emphasis, on Page 3 (first paragraph) of the Letter stated:
“My Lord, Mr. Amaechi said the President of Nigeria and the All Progressives Congress mandated him to inform me that they must win their election Appeals in respect of Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State and Abia State at all costs. For Akwa Ibom State, he alleged that he sponsored Mr. Umana Umana, Candidate of All Progressive Congress for that election and that if he lost Akwa Ibom appeal, he would have lost a fortune.”
We wish His Lordship, Justice Inyang Okoro and the CJN/Chairman of NJC did not keep quite over this bribery attempt since February 2016 until now for an administration that has touted to have zero tolerance on corruption. It appears that the public would have remained in the dark without the prompting of the DSS harassments and invasion of his home.
This allegation against the former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has again vindicated us that there are so many corrupt leaders and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC), but due to party affiliation and their huge contributions to the Buhari Presidency are seen as ‘sacred cows’ and shielded from prosecution.
We wish to therefore reiterate that the recent arbitrary and Gestapo style of arrest, detention and release of Justices of the High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court by the APC led Administration is a charade targeted at gagging the Nigerian Judiciary to sway justice in favour of the President and his Party, the APC. We once again condemn in the strongest terms the frequent use of security agencies by this Government to molest, harass and intimidate well-meaning Nigerians and opposition figures in the Country.
The following mindless statements of President Buhari in Germany also buttress our point, “…so I claim superior knowledge over her (his wife), and the rest of the opposition…” Also, “It is not easy to do away with your opposition. Or people who have not followed you along your campaign trail. ” This is to confirm in faraway Germany that he is ‘up and doing’ with fighting opposition and not corruption to sum up his equation of 97% and 5%. More so, given his ‘unequal intelligence’ that cannot be challenged by his wife or any other person/opposition. How sad!
Finally, we call on the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, investigate this weighty allegation and prosecute the perpetrators. We once again call on the Judiciary to remain neutral and fearless by this orchestrated threat to our democracy.
Signed:
Prince Dayo Adeyeye
National Publicity Secretary
