PDP asks Buhari, APC to react to corruption allegations against Bulkachuwa

…Insists she should excuse self from tribunal

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the President Buhari – led All Progressives Congress (APC) to make public allegations of corruption against the President of the Appeal Court who doubles as Chairman of the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa which the government alluded to.

Also, the party reiterated its earlier resentment on the inclusion of Justice Bulkachuwa as a member of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and insisted that she takes the path of honour by excusing herself from the tribunal because of her relationship by marriage to an APC senator- elect, a party listed in the appeal.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement Sunday, said the party was aware of a press statement issued by the Presidency alluding to corruption allegations against the person of the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa.

He said “on account of this allegation and the nefarious plot to bring the name of our party into its narrative, the PDP charges the Buhari Presidency to come clear on the corruption allegations, it opened on Justice Bulkachuwa.

“Since the Buhari Presidency has alluded to issues of corruption against Justice Bulkachuwa, contrary to issues raised in the PDP petition bothering on bias, it behoves on the Presidency and the APC to make public the corruption issues they have alluded to.

“The Presidency should also take a step further by pursuing these issues of corruption just as it did in its case of corruption allegations against the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen instead of wickedly dragging our party into issues that have no bearing with the PDP.

“Now that the Presidency has informed the whole nation that Justice Bulkachuwa has issues of corruption, we challenge it to do the needful rather than engaging in shadow-boxing against our party.

“Moreover, in the face of corruption allegations, as has now been exposed by the Presidency, the burden still lies on the same Presidency to come clean.

“In doing that, the Presidency will be ranching on its established course, having hit the records of harassing and intimidating judicial officials; abuse of court processes and disregard for court orders.”

The party held that the fresh allegations of corruption now places a huge moral burden on Justice Bulkachuwa, particularly in her capacity as the president of the Court of Appeal because a judicial officer of such high standing must not only be above board, but be seen to be above board at all times.

Pressing home the party’s demands, he said “the PDP restates our demand for Justice Bulkachuwa to excuse herself from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal following the manifest bias in her opening address that no matter how well the election is conducted, there are bound to be complaints.

“This is in addition to the fact that her husband, Adamu Mohammed Bulkachuwa, is a frontline leader of the APC which is a party in our case before the tribunal. With these developments, it is certain that there is no way the PDP can obtain justice with Justice Bulkachuwa in the panel.”