TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Walter Onnoghen, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), to protect the judiciary from the “intrusion” of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party alleged that the APC and some appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari have continued to interfere with the trial of Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of PDP.

In a statement on Thursday, Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman of PDP, said intrusion of the APC in the Metuh’s case has assumed a “worrisome dimension”.

Ologbondiyan urged Buhari to call the APC and his appointees to order.

“The party also said its members have specifically expressed fear about Chief Metuh’s fate before justice Okon Abang, a judge, it said had in the past delivered judgments against the PDP, which were eventually upturned, after much damage had been done,” the statement read.

“The PDP finds it curious that interferences are manifesting in Metuh’s case even after the court had adjourned indefinitely on his application to be allowed to travel to the UK for surgery. This court had twice rejected chief Metuh’s applications for medical leave at the initial stage of his ailment but the condition of the former PDP spokesman has now degenerated.

“It is on record that people facing similar charges at the federal high court are granted leave to travel for ordinary medical checkups and other sundry reasons, but Metuh has had his application for medical treatment deferred indefinitely and had to be brought to court for trial even on a hospital stretcher.

“The fact remains that if the court cannot grant chief Metuh leave for medical treatment, more so, with the manifest interference of the APC, then there is absolutely no guarantee that he can get justice from the same court at the end of the day and we want the CJN to take copious note of this.

“The PDP notes that no other application for medical leave has ever been subjected to a greater burden of proof, ridicule and undue delay than the case of our former spokesperson. We strongly hold that the APC is now manipulating issues around this case as a reference point to threaten opposition in the country.

“We therefore urge the CJN to rise up in defence of the judiciary before it is ruined by the APC.”

The PDP urged Onnoghen to ensure that justice is done in Metuh’s case.

Metuh is standing trial for the alleged diversion of N400 million.

He is said to have received the funds from Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA).