The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)-led government in Kano State against deliberate attempt to malign Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge, chairman of the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, over the final judgement of the tribunal.
According to a statement issued in Abuja by the chief of staff to the APC national chairman, Malam Muhammad Garba, when Hon Justice Azinge made the revelation on the alleged attempt to bribe a member of the tribunal by a senior lawyer, she never named any particular party.
Cautioning against tarnishing the image of tribunal’s chairman “because of its apparent dismal defence performance at the tribunal,” the APC said by creating a fictitious story and quoting her out of context, amounts to disrespect for the judge and the judiciary in general.
But just to denigrate the APC, he said the NNPP government referred to the APC as the bribe giver.
Garba who is also the immediate past commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs and spokesperson for Gawuna/Gari Campaign Council, accused the Kano State government of also preempting the possible unreveling of the actual bribe giver by the tribunal, thereby attempting to malign the judge.
He noted that the made up story, which is contained in a statement issued by the state commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, further indicates that the government is trying to vilify the tribunal before the judgement in order to draw sympathy from unsuspecting public in the event it is defeated.
The chief of staff pointed out that to also further confirm how perplexed they are, they filed an appeal while the tribunal is still holding it’s proceedings, saying however that their action will not stop the election petition tribunal from going on with it’s sittings until it delivers final judgement.
He stated that even with an apparent sign of victory on its side, the APC has not and will never offer any bribe to anyone involved in the case considering that it has presented facts and figures to prosecute the matter before the tribunal.
Garba observed that while the APC had presented all it’s witnesses during the proceedings of the tribunal who have been successfully cross examined, the NNPP government, he added, has failed to present any tangible witness to depend it’s case.
The former commissioner averred that the action of the Kano state government was nothing but gimmickry and an attempt to also desparage the APC.
Reaffirming its commitment to patiently continue seeking legal redress in the case, the APC said it is confident it will eventually reclaim its stolen mandate.
