When many Nigerians are still worried why the Court of Appeal curiously declined to deliver a well anticipated verdict on Friday, November 18, 2016 a pro-democracy coalition has accused the Muhammadu Buhari-led presidency of “arresting the judgement to fester it political interest.”
“Everything that is playing out in the Ondo election is about the 2019 agenda to plant the ruling party in that state at all cost. We will see more of this executive impunity in other states in the weeks ahead,” the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, CDNDC, said in an e-mailed statement on Saturday.
“We make bold to say that the axis of Jimoh Ibrahim, Ali Modu and Buruji Kasham, has no capacity to run riots against the judiciary and sponsor such scandalous petitions against revered justices without the support of the power that be,” according to a statement by it co-convener, Ariyo-Dare Atoye.
“You could see it written all over the faces of the Justices on the Appeal Court panel, that they were practically forced by the power that be, to do a volte-face in delivering the judgement in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidacy tussle.
“Until this wicked interference, Justice Saulawa led panel had resisted all the mischievous processes in the suits, guided by the decision of the Supreme Court in Agumagu vs NJC, which gives it authority to proceed to judgment despite a curious notice at the Apex court.
“They want to destroy everything and turn Nigeria into a fascist state ahead of 2019. They are using power with brazen recklessness and subverting all democratic institutions to fester a sordid political interest, but they will fail,” the statement added.
The group also expressed worry that “these gangs of political predators backed by the hawks in the Presidency might extend their blackmails to the Supreme Court, all in a bid to ensure that the stinking judgement of Justice Abang is not reviewed.
“They know that the judgement of Justice Abang that is being challenged and other political rulings cannot stand the test of time. Consequently they want to bring down the judiciary just to protect a wicked verdict that will still fail,” the group said.
CDNDC also alleged these hawks of interfering with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a “desperate bid to plant surrogates across the country to strengthen their support base for 2019.
“INEC has become a willing tool for the ruling party to do hatchet jobs; we have to say it as it is. The present INEC has been effectively compromised and no longer enjoys the confidence of Nigerians.
“To win election now in Nigeria, if you are not a member of the APC, you have to first defeat INEC to be sure of making any progress. It is that bad and very painful,” the coalition said.
The group told the opposition PDP to brace for up for more challenges across the country, warning that “the axis of Jimoh Ibrahim, Ali Modu and Buruji Kashamu, has been procured by the hawks to deplete it rant and strength in every state of the federation and also weaken it structures.”
The coalition urged Nigerians to make sacrifices and stand up in defence of democracy when they can still do it, warning that ‘it may be too late if we allow them to get away with the current aberrations.”
