October 5, 2008
PRESS RELEASE
Afenifere is scandalized, and all right thinking Nigerians should be, by a recent report on Sahara Reporters suggesting that an “understanding” might have been sealed by the Ya’Adua presidency with apex court to authenticate the April 2007 presidential elections.
The online journal makes some damaging allegations the highpoints of which we produce below:
1) That president Ya’adua has allegedly asked each member of the supreme court panel hearing his petition to nominate one person each for ministerial appointment in the impending cabinet reshuffle.
2) That a task force to enforce the agreement has been set up headed by Mr. James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta state charged for corruption by the EFCC. The meeting of the committee allegedly held in Ibori’s house was said to have been attended by Saminu Turaki, Orji – Kalu and Chimaroke Nnamani. All the charges against these men would be dropped once the judgment is delivered.
3) That the EFCC chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri has been detailed as a link with Justice Katsina – Alu for the duration of the trial. She was alleged to have also attended the meeting of the task force in Ibori’s house.
While these and other allegations contained in the report look wild, we are persuaded not to dismiss them because the same medium predicted accurately was going to happen at the Justice Ogebe – led Appeal Court Tribunal.
The report is also coming at a time president Ya’adua has been exuding uncommon confidence over the likely outcome of the Supreme Court verdict. Reacting to Gen. Muhamadu Buhari’s statement that the president had ignored him since the beginning of the challenge of his victory. President Ya;adua through his spokesman Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi said that there would be no talks with Buhari until after his case might have been thrown out. The president declared matter- of – factly that “Buhari’s case is very weak”. It is a mockery of the “Rule of Law” mantras when it becomes the president’s call to determine the “strength “ or “weakness” of cases before our court.
As things stand, Afenifere demands that the following persons must speak out for obvious reasons:
1) President Ya’adua has to reassure the nation that he is not abandoning his statement on October 1, 2008 that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption. To be perceived to be using corrupt means to obtain judgment from the Supreme Court is the end of the rule of law.
2) The chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Legbo Kutigi must also save the image of apex court by denouncing this report. While the veracity of the report cannot be ascertained yet, but that our Judiciary has fallen to a state where these allegations are flying around it should worry the CJN.
3) The EFCC boss, Mrs Farida Waziri who has not come clean before Nigerians over her involvement with corrupt people should also speak out on this allegation. That the head of the anti- graft agency would be linked with an attempt to corrupt the Judociary may be a confirmation of the allegation that she was indeed anointed by crooks.
We are eagerly waiting.
Yinka Odumakin
National Publicity Secretary.
Afenifere is scandalized, and all right thinking Nigerians should be, by a recent report on Sahara Reporters suggesting that an “understanding” might have been sealed by the Ya’Adua presidency with apex court to authenticate the April 2007 presidential elections.
The online journal makes some damaging allegations the highpoints of which we produce below:
1) That president Ya’adua has allegedly asked each member of the supreme court panel hearing his petition to nominate one person each for ministerial appointment in the impending cabinet reshuffle.
2) That a task force to enforce the agreement has been set up headed by Mr. James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta state charged for corruption by the EFCC. The meeting of the committee allegedly held in Ibori’s house was said to have been attended by Saminu Turaki, Orji – Kalu and Chimaroke Nnamani. All the charges against these men would be dropped once the judgment is delivered.
3) That the EFCC chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri has been detailed as a link with Justice Katsina – Alu for the duration of the trial. She was alleged to have also attended the meeting of the task force in Ibori’s house.
While these and other allegations contained in the report look wild, we are persuaded not to dismiss them because the same medium predicted accurately was going to happen at the Justice Ogebe – led Appeal Court Tribunal.
The report is also coming at a time president Ya’adua has been exuding uncommon confidence over the likely outcome of the Supreme Court verdict. Reacting to Gen. Muhamadu Buhari’s statement that the president had ignored him since the beginning of the challenge of his victory. President Ya;adua through his spokesman Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi said that there would be no talks with Buhari until after his case might have been thrown out. The president declared matter- of – factly that “Buhari’s case is very weak”. It is a mockery of the “Rule of Law” mantras when it becomes the president’s call to determine the “strength “ or “weakness” of cases before our court.
As things stand, Afenifere demands that the following persons must speak out for obvious reasons:
1) President Ya’adua has to reassure the nation that he is not abandoning his statement on October 1, 2008 that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption. To be perceived to be using corrupt means to obtain judgment from the Supreme Court is the end of the rule of law.
2) The chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Legbo Kutigi must also save the image of apex court by denouncing this report. While the veracity of the report cannot be ascertained yet, but that our Judiciary has fallen to a state where these allegations are flying around it should worry the CJN.
3) The EFCC boss, Mrs Farida Waziri who has not come clean before Nigerians over her involvement with corrupt people should also speak out on this allegation. That the head of the anti- graft agency would be linked with an attempt to corrupt the Judociary may be a confirmation of the allegation that she was indeed anointed by crooks.
We are eagerly waiting.
Yinka Odumakin
National Publicity Secretary.
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