Niger PDP kicks over change of trial judge

Saka Bolaji, Minna

The Niger state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opposed the change of the trial judge handling the corruption case against some of its top members, including its governorship candidate in next month’s election in state. The party also expressed fears over the shifting in the date for continuation of the case.Justice Aliyu Maiyaki of the state high court started hearing the case which bordered on alleged diversion of ecological funds for which former Governor of the state, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu was the first defendant and Nasko and the state PDP chairman, Tanko Beji are the second and third defendants. Justice Maiyaki had at the last adjourned date fixed further hearing in the case for the March 4 but the case has now been assigned to Justice Mohammed Mohammad.The PDP in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna, described “the latest development as a calculated attempt to pervert the course of justice The statement signed by the Director of Communication, Umar Nasko Gubernatorial Campaign Organisation, Yahaya Mohammed Usman alleged that the latest development was a well orchestrated plan sponsored and oiled by the Niger state government. The plan is to use the courts to re-enact, re-start afresh the ongoing trial of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Umar Nasko, Tanko Beji, and a few other PDP leaders, which has been on since 2016,” the PDP alleged. Usman also claimed that the state government had secured the services of a lawyer with large sums of money to help the federal government prosecute a case in which the same federal government is the prosecution. “With Justice Maiyaki out and a new judge in, the plan now is to re-arraign/arraign the three and others in the opposition, issue difficult bail conditions even though they are on bail and have never breached it, then they will be detained till the elections are over,” Usman further alleged. Reacting to the statement, the Director General of the Sani Bello / Ketso Governorship Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Vatsa distanced the Niger state government from the issue. “We have not been involved in this case since it started,we cannot now be involved “The PDP should stop chasing shadows; it should not hang its problem on the APC,” Vatsa declared, adding that “our major preoccupation now is the campaign for the re-election of President Muhammad Buhari, Governor Sani Bello and all APC candidates.”