A group of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the platform of Progressives Foundational Movement (PFM) has said that it has uncovered a multi-million naira smear campaign by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) against the judiciary and its processes through a series false stories, manipulated analyses and paid propaganda.
The group, in a statement released Thursday in Abuja by its National Coordinator, Barrister Aganaba Johnson, claimed information at his disposal indicated that large chunk from the money believed to be over N1.2billion was being shared among fake Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), newspaper columnists, political analysts on current affairs and lawyers, to engage in propaganda in favour of the NNPP after losing at the Kano State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal last week.
According to Johnson, some of the fake CSOs engaged have already swung into action as the smear campaign has kick-started with damning condemnation of the judiciary with a slogan “Justice for Kano…”
Barrister Johnson said: “The aim, it was gathered, revolves around calling national attention by creating the impression that the justices of the election petition tribunal were not fair in the judgement, thereby creating aspersions on their persons and the judicial process as a whole.
“The faceless CSOs are said to be leveraging on technology and regular online sessions with support from social media platforms to achieve the objective of discrediting the judiciary.
“It was also learnt that columnists from newspapers and magazines have been reached out to work for the NNPP in the task of rubbishing the judiciary through spurious allegations.”
The pro-APC group further revealed that the backlash of threats to life of the judges of the tribunal by its members which has been hunting the NNPP, was said to be pushing it to engage in an all out war with the judiciary.
The statement said: “In one of such fake news by the sponsored agents of the NNPP, is the allegation against the judiciary on the choice of Appeal Court panel of judges to handle appealed cases a the appellate court.
“The NNPP, which is still in shock and disbelief following the verdict of the election petition tribunal is jittery over what will likely be the verdict at the Appeal Court and therefore said to be deploying resources of the state to intimidate the judiciary.
“The NNPP failed to make its case at the tribunal and still blaming the second arm of government for its failures. Had the election petition tribunal verdict rule in their favour, will they behave the same way as they are doing now?”
