There are moves by “certain agents” of President Muhammadu Buhari to bribe Senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in an attempt to shield the President from parliamentary sanction, the Peoples Democratic Party has claimed.
The President had over the weekend replaced the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen with Justice Ibrahim Tanko in acting capacity, which drew reactions and nationwide outrage and umbrage from the international community which has demanded that due process be followed on the matter.
A statement by the spokesperson of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday alerted on the presidency’s plan to have a “clandestine” meeting with APC Senators at the presidential villa ahead of the Senate’s resumption on Tuesday.
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The statement reads: “The PDP have been informed of how the Buhari Presidency has been unsettled following national and international outcry over his constitutional breaches, particularly the assault on the judiciary in his attempt to forcefully remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and impose a pliable CJN to do his bidding.
“President Buhari is not only apprehensive that the Senate might sanction him for violating the constitution and usurping its statutory duties regarding the handling of issues related to a CJN, the parliament might also open an inquest into how President Buhari, who parades as Mr. Integrity, allegedly procured an Order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) upon which he announced the illegal suspension of the CJN.
“There are reports that the said order is suspicious and subject to investigation, being not argued or issued in the open court; following which a distressed Buhari Presidency now seeks to corrupt and undermine the Senate.”
The party also alleged that monies will be moved from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to bribe the APC senators, “as well as how each APC senator has been offered huge sums of money in foreign currency to engage in heckling during the session, particularly when the matter is raised.”
The opposition party asked the APC senators to note that the issue at hand is not partisan “but about nationhood, as well as the protection of our democracy and constitution from despotism.”