The All Progressives Congress (APC) has supported the planned arraignment of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
In a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, the party insisted that the Federal Government would continue to prosecute public officers accused of corruption.
It said the law should be allowed to take its course as the fight against corruption remains a cardinal promise made by the Muhammadu Buhari administration to the electorate.
The ruling party also took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for faulting the CJN’s trial, saying the opposition was being sympathetic to corruption.
It noted that the PDP ought to call for impartial investigations when corruption cases were levelled against public officers rather than drawing biased conclusions.
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The APC further condemned the allegation that the move against Justice Onnoghen was a plot to rig the general elections.
It, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard the claim, stressing that the present administration remained committed to ensuring free and fair elections.
The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) had filed criminal charges against Justice Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged failure to declare his assets, as well as operating a domiciliary account.
On its part, the CCT it would commence the trial of the CJN on Monday.
Read the APC statement below;
Following reports of the move to prosecute Justice Walter Onnoghen, Chief Justice of the Federation, over an alleged infraction on the Code of Conduct laws, the swift statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemning the purported move has again 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 levelled 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 ensuring that the forthcoming elections go on record as one of the freest, most credible and peaceful elections in the country.
SIGNED:
Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
