Our attention has just been drawn to a purported Press Conference, which has gone viral on social media, by a so-called Forum of Civil Society Organisations said to have been addressed on Tuesday 24th October 2023 by one Wole Adewale (obviously a pseudonym), its Chairman.
Statement made available to this medium and was signed by Hon. Sylvanus Namang, APC State Publicity Secretary stated that we would not have bothered to react to the uncoordinated, melodramatic outburst and jejune Press Conference were it not for its weighty but unsubstantiated content.
In particular, the so-called Forum of 15 Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of Anti – Corruption Organisation of Nigeria which is obviously sponsored by the decrepit Plateau State Chapter of the PDP have inundated the social media space with disparaging and banal claims against some of our political leaders, namely the immediate past Governor of Plateau State and Minister of Labour and Employment,, HE Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong and our very dynamic and youthful Member Representing the good people of Pankshin/ Kanke/ Kanam Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Yusufu Adamu Gagdi including the baseless call for investigation of our highly reverred Justice Monica Mensem-Dongban, the President of the Court of Appeal whom they have always called for her removal as their benefactor worked vigorously against her appointment to the exalted position to no avail.
In the contentious Press Conference which we believe was concocted in one corner at Government House in Jos, the faceless CSO threatened to shut down the Court of Appeal on Monday 30th October should the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC fail to heed the call to arrest and investigate the President of the Court of Appeal whom it spuriously claimed to have obtained conversations with her where she agreed with the demands of former Governor of Zamfara, Senator Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir Ahmed El – Rufai led by the former Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong to fight President Bola Ahmed Tinubu immediately he is declared Senator of Plateau Southern Senatorial District!
In the hitech insinuations and well manufactured propaganda which is aimed at soiling the good reputation of Justice Monica Mensem-Dongban, one of Plateau finest and celebrated daughters in the Judiciary, they alleged that she has agreed on a bogus N3billion for cases and has assured that Justices handling appeals have agreed to accept the sum of N250 Million per case!
The wickedly crafted and make – belief but unaddressed Press conference, called for the suspension of the 3-man erudite Justices who passed the Judgments on Sunday 22nd October against the former Minority Leader of the Senate, Simon Mwadkwon and former Member Representing Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency, Musa Agah for proper investigation beceause they “have been tainted in the court of public opinion as corrupt having received huge sum of money from the President of Court of Appeal”.
In a deliberate but futile attempt to put a wage between our most respected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former Governor and Minister of Labour and Employment Simon Bako Lalong, the authors of this useless piece call on Mr President to caution the Minister of Labour and Employment and his Attorney General of the Federation counterpart, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN for using their relationship with the Justices of the Court of Appeal to obstruct the cause of Justice.
Though it is our contention that the controversial Press Conference is replete with so many despicable absurdities hence it can readily be dismissed as a “tale of the absurd”. As far as we are concerned, these wild allegations have criminal intents are libelous and seditious in all ramifications. Part of their toxic claim is, to quote the authors:
“So far, 27 Justices serving the Court of Appeal have received bribe (sic) and very soon documents will be released”.
This scornful and insolent behavior is characteristic of the PDP. It goes without saying that this wild allegation is not only a mischievous attempt to drag and cast a slur on the integrity of the Judiciary but also another desperate attempt to undermine our 24- years old uninterrupted democracy.
Furthermore, we have every reason to link the mischievous Press Conference to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in view of the fact that it was widely shared through several online platforms by Mr. John. S Akans, the factional Publicity Secretary of the Party and PDP so- called data boys. The timing of the questionable Press Conference is suspect considering the fact that it is coming barely two days after the Court of Appeal, in its well considered and sound judgements sacking Hon. Simon Mwadkwon and Hon. Musa Agah from the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.
Another sad commentary is how the sponsors and authors of the script have threatened to mobilize protests in order to shut down the Court of Appeal on Monday 30th October, 2023. This is invitation to anarchy is an outright declaration of war against the Judiciary and our democracy. We cannot stand by and watch an inglorious attempt to subvert our democracy!
These threats aimed at derailing our democracy should not be taken for granted. We, therefore, urge the security agencies to swing into action by arresting those behind the Press Conference.
The All Progressives Congress in Plateau State wishes to warn the Plateau State Chapter of the PDP against its bad mannerrism and habitual penchant of tarnishing the good image of Judges anytime a judgment does not go in their favour such as the present case where it has taken its hatred for these respected Judges to an extreme end.
We recall how this same PDP in the state hauled all sorts of insults and unprintable vitriolics on Justice Ishaku Kunda of the Plateau State High Court for passing his sound and landmark judgement which prevented the PDP from participating in the October, 2021 Local Government election over its LACK OF STRUCTURE which has remained a recurring decimal.
Its is now calling for the heads of the Justice M. B. Tukur – led Justices who need to be celebrated for their landmark and sound judgements instead of their condemnation by the myopic PDP in the state.
Hon. Justice Elfreda Oluwayemisi Williams – Dawodu and her well -respected two Appeal Tribunal colleagues have now been added to the long list of the PDP atrocious onslaught on the Judiciary which remains the clear arbiter and conscience of our democracy.
At this point, it is high time we called off the bluff of the ever whimsical PDP in Plateau state. Let them allow our democracy be instead of its ceaseless excursion in absurdities and frivolities.
A final word to the irritant PDP in Plateau state; enough of its threat to our democracy. It is only a child that fears the face of a painted devil.
We call on security agencies to be on the the alert for events of the coming weeks which will, through more judicial pronouncements, knock the PDP out of power in Plateau State.
The PDP ought to have learnt from the Agah vs Alkali case of 2022 that it is standing on a sandy foundation due to its unabated infighting which has left it with NO STRUCTURE and prepare as Zamfara did and move on to mend its broken walls against 2031.
It is worthy of note that last Sunday 22nd October, 2023 Judgment was the sixth in the series of Judgments against the PDP in the Plateau State on LACK OF STRUCTURE.
Something must be definitely wrong with the PDP to still believe that “nothing can stand on nothing” in true judicial parlance.
