The Peoples Democratic Party has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to emulate the judiciary by asking ministers accused of corruption to step aside for proper investigation.
Some Nigerians have wondered why the President had allowed Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonna Onu, who were speficically mentioned by the embattled Supreme Court justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro of trying to influence them to pervert justice to continue in office, where they are pressuring that the justices stepped aside.
PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dayo Adeyeye, on Friday in Abujarecalled that the National Judicial Council had on Thursday announced its decision to suspend justices facing corruption charges.
The justices are Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro of the Supreme Court; Mohammed Tsamiya, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division; and Kabiru Auta of the Kano State High Court.
Others are Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja; Justice I. A. Umezulike, former Chief Judge of Enugu State; and Muazu Pindiga of the Federal High Court, Gombe.
Adeyeye pointed out that Justices Ngwuta and Okoro had alleged that they were the targets of a witch-hunt because they refused offers of inducement and bribes from two ministers.
They had named them as the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and his Science and Technology counterpart, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
He said that the ministers allegedly tried to offer bribe to the judges to subvert the course of justice in appeals against the decisions of lower courts in election petitions in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti and Rivers States.
The statement said: “In order to allow for a fair and independent investigation, it is incumbent on President Muhammadu Buhari to ask these ministers to step aside pending the conclusion of investigation into the allegations.
“The judiciary has set a very good example in its quest to fight corruption.
“It has proven that it is ready to reform itself and we commend the NJC for taking this bold step.
“Likewise, we call on the administration of the president to emulate the NJC.”
Adeyeye added that anything less would confirm the belief that the administration considered itself as “above the law”.
Adeyeye added that it would be a wrong signal if the ministers were retained in the face of the serious allegations against them.
According to him, if such action is not taken, it will imply that the entire judicial corruption saga was a deliberate attempt to blackmail that arm of government.
