Pro-Buhari group accuses Atiku, PDP of plotting smear campaign against CJN ahead Tribunal ruling

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has been accused of plotting a smear campaign against Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Mohammed, ahead of the September 13 judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

The allegations were leveled against Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), which claimed that both parties masterminded the plot to smear the character of Justice Tanko, at a recently staged strategy meeting involving leaders of the opposition party in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

BMO in a statement issued on Friday by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, also claimed that Atiku and the PDP are planning to appeal their impending loss at the tribunal by preparing an appeal at the Supreme Court.

The statement by BMO reads; “We want to alert Nigerians of a devious plot concocted by PDP elements in their usual haven of dubious strategies to launch scathing media attacks on the judiciary with Chief Justice Tanko Mohammed as main target.

READ ALSO: RIVERS: Wike canvasses for state police to fight insecurity

“The latest Dubai strategy of lies has been tidied up and is to be launched soon with the ultimate aim of preventing the CJN from heading the Supreme Court panel that will consider their appeal against the outcome of the Tribunal which they envisaged won’t be favourable to them.

“It is a pre-emptive move by a group of unpatriotic politicians which we want Nigerians to be aware of, before they bombard the public space with the type of spurious claims that made the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa stand down from the five-member panel that considered Atiku Abubakar’s petition against President Muhammadu Buhari’s overwhelming victory at the polls.

“Nigerians saw how these characters did not care about the sterling qualities of one of the country’s best judges as they maligned her for weeks on end in social and traditional media. They also saw through the crocodile tears of the former Vice President after Justice Bulkachuwa opted to recuse herself, even after the Tribunal dismissed PDP’s petition against her.

“Now, Atiku’s attention is on how to get Chief Justice Mohammed out of the way by again using the media to whip up unnecessary public sentiment, in line with his well-documented desperation to rule the country.

“In case he has forgotten, the PDP presidential candidate needs to be reminded of the promise one of his campaign spokesmen, Segun Sowunmi made on his behalf that Atiku would accept the verdict of the Tribunal on his petition challenging the emergence of President Buhari as winner of the election.

“Of course, we recognise his constitutional right to proceed to the Supreme Court but we are opposed to a situation where a former Vice President would be part of a scheme to tarnish the image and reputation of the head of our nation’s judiciary.

“For a man that once claimed to be interested in ‘institutional reforms that would enhance national development’, we consider it absurd that he is at the forefront of efforts to rubbish national institutions and their heads.

“And just like we said before the 2019 elections that their Dubai strategy would fail, this Dubai strategy too will also collapse like a pack of cards,” BMO added.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now