Onnoghen: Buhari, APC desperate over 2019 general elections ― PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization (PPCO) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of desperation in “the assault against the judiciary with the attempt to forcefully remove the Chief Justice of the Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.”

The party in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, said it is despicable that rather than retracing their steps from “the ignoble act against the CJN, after the spontaneous public outrage that trailed the shameful act, the APC and the Buhari Presidency are attempting to blackmail Nigerians, who condemned the assault on the judiciary, as being sympathetic to corruption.”

The statement affirmed: “The Buhari Presidency and the APC, in this venture, have exposed their desperation to subdue and annex the judiciary, particularly, following increasing agitation by Nigerians for the prosecution of President Buhari’s cronies and APC leaders over exposed corruption.

“The Buhari Presidency and APC in turning around to fight Nigerians have further exposed their desperation to replace Justice Onnoghen with a pliable CJN, who will execute their plots to use the courts to detain opposition leaders as well as vocal members of the Civil Society during the elections.

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“It is now crystal clear to all Nigerians that apart from failing woefully in all its promises, the APC and its presidential candidate, President Buhari, are beginning to manifest their autocratic attributes.

“Furthermore, the Buhari Presidency is not only corrupt but has become an asylum for corrupt people. The PPCO, therefore, challenges the APC and the Buhari Presidency to name one APC member that has been investigated, prosecuted or arraigned before any court of competent jurisdiction in the last three and half years in spite of their humongous corruption.

“If for anything, President Muhammadu Buhari has encouraged corruption in our nation more than any President that had the privilege of governing our country, Nigeria.

“It is important to restate that the Buhari Presidency is now a refugee camp for known and well-advertised faces of corruption. From the factional National Chairman of the APC, the co-chairman of the Buhari campaign Organization, the Director General of the Buhari Campaign, the zonal directors and the recent entrants from Bauchi and Gombe states, all leaders of the APC and Buhari campaign structure are all candidates of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

The PDP has therefore charged Nigerians not to be deterred by the “attacks” by the Buhari Presidency, which it posited has since “become desperate and anti-people following its rejection by Nigerians because of its corruption, incompetence and insensitivity to the plights of our citizens.”

Meanwhile, the party has named Technical Advisers to its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

They include Mallam Sule Lamido, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Yakubu Dogara and Senator Ike Ekweremmadu.

The PDP also named Lamido as the Chairman of Elder’s Council for the campaign.

Alhaji Kawu Baraje has been appointed as Technical Adviser to the Director General of the Campaign, Senator Bukola Saraki, while Dr Doyin Okupe is named the Media Adviser to the Director-General.