President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been accused of attempting to bribe national lawmakers to stave off sanctions against the president for constitutional breaches.
The allegation was made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement released to newsmen on Sunday.
The statement which was signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, indicated that certain persons working for Mr. Buhari have been sent out to bribe APC senators to prevent a possible impeachment process.
“Intelligence available to the PDP shows that this is the reason the jittery Presidency had summoned all APC senators to the Presidential Villa to a clandestine meeting on Monday night, ahead of the Senate’s resumption on Tuesday,” the statement read.
“The PDP has been informed of how the Buhari Presidency has been unsettled following national and international outcry over his constitutional breaches, particularly the assault on the judiciary in his attempt to forcefully remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and impose a pliable CJN to do his bidding.
“President Buhari is not only apprehensive that the Senate might sanction him for violating the constitution and usurping its statutory duties regarding the handling of issues related to a CJN, the parliament might also open an inquest into how President Buhari, who parades as Mr. Integrity, allegedly procured an Order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) upon which he announced the illegal suspension of the CJN.”
Relying on intelligence reports, the PDP said there are indications the CTT order which was used to suspend the CJN was not argued by parties and issued in an open court.
Afraid of the consequences of procuring a court order from the backdoor, the party said the Presidency now seeks to corrupt and undermine members of the Senate.
“The PDP has been made aware of how money has been moved from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to bribe the APC senators, as well as how each APC senator has been offered huge sums of money in foreign currency to engage in heckling during the session, particularly when the matter is raised,” the statement continued.
“However, the PDP wants the APC senators to note that the issue at hand is not partisan; it is not even about Justice Walter Onnoghen, but about nationhood, as well as the protection of our democracy and constitution from despotism.
“The Buhari Presidency is bent on corrupting our democratic institutions but Nigerians are watching the action of our lawmakers at this critical time.”
Mr. Buhari had on Friday suspended the CJN, Walter Onnoghen and immediately swore in Tanko Muhammad as his interim replacement in a move that drew outrage within and outside the country.
He argued the decision followed an order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, asking Mr. Onnoghen to step aside.
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The CJN is accused by the presidency through the Code of Conduct Bureau of failure to declare his asset as required by law.
But his suspension by Mr. Buhari goes against the procedure outlined in the 1999 Constitution for the removal of judicial officers from office.
The Third Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution stipulates how a judicial officer may be removed from office. It states:
“The National Judicial Council (NJC) shall have the power to recommend to the President the removal from office of the judicial officers specified in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph, and to exercise disciplinary control over such officers.”
The officers listed therein are the CJN, Justices of the Supreme Court, the President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, the Chief Judges and Judges of the Federal High Court.
