Judiciary Will Not Escape Scrutiny, Says APC Zonal Vice Chairman

Oni: Party’ll clinch more S-east, S-south states in 2019

in Calabar and

in Enugu

National Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress for Southsouth, Prince Hilliard Eta, has declared that the country’s judiciary will not escape scrutiny in the current fight against corruption by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Eta said this at the weekend in Calabar while speaking with THISDAY. He stressed that the judiciary had by some of its recent actions demonstrated that it was not comfortable with the anticorruption posture of the president.

The APC leader was reacting to the Supreme Court verdicts of January 27 and February 3, which upheld the elections of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom, respectively.

The APC governorship candidates in both states, Dakuku Peterside in Rivers State and Umana Umana in Akwa Ibom State, lost their bid to upturn the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party candidates was winners of the April 11, 2015 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Eta’s comments came against the backdrop of suggestions by the APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, that there were incongruities in the apex court ruling on the Rivers State governorship election that needed to be probed.

Responding to questions bothering on the Supreme Court judgments in both cases, Eta declared: “like the NBA president, and the CJN would make us believe that ; nobody should see evil, nobody should say evil about the judiciary, time has gone that you will say we shall not see evil or we shall not say evil about the judiciary. The judiciary of Nigeria must come to the table for scrutiny. Just like the legislature is being scrutinised, just like the executive is being scrutinised, the judiciary of Nigeria shall not escape scrutiny. It is in an attempt to escape scrutiny that we have the kind of impunity that we have in the Supreme Court.

“And they think all of us will keep quiet because everybody is thinking about intimidation or the consequences of the Supreme Court calling you to come and jail you. Personally, I don’t care. I know the time has come for Nigeria to look at the judiciary.”

Eta also said the APC in the South-south is re-echoing its call for Buhari to set up a highpowered panel of enquiry into the activities of the judges of the Supreme Court. He said it was necessary to see if the Supreme Court judges can come out clean.

Meanwhile, the Deputy National chairman of the APC, Segun Oni yesterday in Enugu dispelled insinuations in some quarters that the ruling party would disintegrate before the 2019 general elections, noting that it would rather emerge stronger and clinch more states in Southeast and South-south geopolitical zones.

Oni, who spoke when he led National Officers of the APC to receive former governorship candidate in Enugu State, Chief Gbazuagu Nweke Gbazuagu at his ward in Agbugoeze Ward in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State, said those still thinking that they would take back power in the next four years should bury the idea.

The former Ekiti State Governor noted that though the APC had come to stay, the party had no plan of making the country a one party state. He however, stated that though the APC won election, it would be stronger to win future elections.

He said the ruling APC would be in a stronger position to win the 2019 election and expressed optimism that future elections would become more perfect and transparent.

Oni described the APC as a party of all progressives, calling on all progressives outside the circle to come home and join the party. He further stated that they were happy that Gbazuagu decided to come back, describing him as grassroots politician and a man of principle.

Gbazuagu was later registered by his ward party chairman and handed over to party officials in the state, zonal and national officials.

Furthermore, National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun yesterday received top politicians from the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) into the APC.

Those Oyegun received into the APC at a colourful ceremony held at the Atu Playground in Calabar include former Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba, Senator Bassey Otu, Prince Jedy Agba, Ntufam Sandy Onor, Ambassador Sony Abang, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Dr. Emmanuel Nsan, Sir Wilfred Inah, and Mrs. NelaAndem Rabana.

The Third Republic governor of the state, Mr. Clement Ebri, who had remained without a political party, but an active supporter of President Muhammdu Buhari’s election efforts was also received into the APC.

Oyegun, who addressed the mammoth crowd of party members and their supporters that thronged the event, admonished those joining the party and the people of the state to support the president’s anti-corruption war.