The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Buhari-led Presidency and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to clear the air on allegations of corruption against Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, President of the Court of Appeal.
In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party on Sunday said: “On account of this allegation and the nefarious plot to bring the name of our party into its narrative, the PDP charges the Buhari Presidency to come clear on the corruption allegation it opened on Justice Bulkachuwa.”
The party says since the Buhari Presidency has alluded to issues of corruption against Justice Bulkachuwa, contrary to issues raised in the PDP petition bothering on bias, it behoves on the Presidency and the APC to make public, the corruption issues they have alluded to.
“The Presidency should also take a step further by pursuing these issues of corruption just as it did in its case of corruption allegations against the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, instead of wickedly dragging our party into issues that have no bearing with the PDP.
“Now that the Presidency has informed the whole nation that Justice Bulkachuwa has issues of corruption, we challenge it to do the needful rather than engaging in shadow-boxing against our party.
“Moreover, in the face of corruption allegations, as has now been exposed by the Presidency, the burden still lies on the same Presidency to come clean. In doing that, the Presidency will be ranching on its established course, having hit the records of harassing and intimidating judicial officials; abuse of court processes and disregard for court orders,” the PDP’s statement read in parts.
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The party further said it holds that the Buhari Presidency’s fresh allegation of corruption now places a huge moral burden on Justice Bulkachuwa, particularly in her capacity as the President of the Court of Appeal.
The PDP said that its premise is based on the fact that a judicial officer of Bulkachuwa’s standing “must not only be above board but be seen to be above board at all times”.
The opposition party restated its demand for Justice Bulkachuwa to “recuse” herself from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, following the alleged manifest bias in her opening address, “that no matter how well the election is conducted, there are bound to be complaints”.
The party said its call is in addition to the fact that Justice Zainab’s husband, Hon. Adamu Mohammed Bulkachuwa, is a frontline leader of the APC, which is a party in their case before the tribunal.
In surmising, the PDP argued that with the developments, the party will certainly not obtain justice before Justice Bulkachuwa in the panel.
